Els took control in round three at the Leopard Creek Country Club

Ernie Els stamped his authority on the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa with an eight-under-par 64 for a two-shot lead after the third round.

England's Lee Slattery fired a 67 to go second, two shots back, with John Bickerton and Ross McGowan a further two shots back.

Overnight leader Omar Sandys had a poor round, with two double bogeys.

Els said: "That's the round I've been looking for. I hit the driver well and my overall game was really good."

Slattery admitted that it would take something special to overhaul Els on the final day.

He said: "Ernie is one of these guys who can shoot that score and win the tournament quite comfortably.

"If he goes out tomorrow and shoots a good score then I'm going to have to shoot a really good one, but it's nice to really be the only one to be in touch with him."

The 21-year-old Joost Luiten's round included a stunning hole-in-one at the 192-yard par-three 12th, a feat which won him an Audi TT Roadster.

There was also a hole-in-one at the par-three 16th from England's Oliver Wilson, although his reward was 190 cases of Terra Del Capo wine.

Darren Clarke managed a solid two-under-par round of 70 to go with his 73 and 69 and leave him four under.