CENTURION, South Africa – English golfer Ross Fisher is closer to his first European Tour title in four years after extending his lead to five shots at the Tshwane Open on Saturday.

Fisher, one ahead overnight, carded a 5-under-par 67, including seven birdies and two bogeys, at Copperleaf to lie at 18 under after three rounds. His fourth and last tour win was the Irish Open in 2010, when he also played in the Ryder Cup.

“It would be nice to win in a good fashion because I feel like the game is good enough to win by a good number of strokes,” Fisher said.

Michael Hoey of Northern Ireland shot 69 to be 13 under, and will partner Fisher in the final round.

A shot further back were England’s Simon Dyson and Spain’s Carlos del Moral, who both made 71.

CENTURION, South Africa – Ross Fisher of England stormed home with an eagle-birdie-birdie-par finish to grab a one-shot lead in the Tshwane Open after the second round on Friday.

Fisher made five birdies and eagled the par-5 15th hole with a curling 40-footer at Copperleaf for a 7-under-par 65. He’s 13 under for the tournament, one stroke ahead of Morten Orum Madsen of Denmark, the South African Open winner who carded seven birdies in his own flawless 65.

Simon Dyson of England, the overnight leader in the clubhouse after the first round was suspended by a thunderstorm, shot 68 to lie in a tie for third at 11 under with Carlos del Moral of Spain (65).

Another stroke behind them on 10 under were the leading South Africans – Jake Roos (65), Darren Fichardt (68) and Trevor Fisher Jr (69) – and Michael Hoey of Northern Ireland, who reeled off a personal-best seven straight birdies from the 10th hole in a 65.

CENTURION, South Africa – Simon Dyson birdied his last four holes in a 7-under 65 to take the clubhouse lead at the Tshwane Open on Thursday.

Trevor Fisher Jr. was also 7 under through 16 holes of his opening round before play was suspended because of a thunderstorm in Centurion.

Englishman Dyson made a strong finish at Copperleaf Golf and Country Estate and had seven birdies in all and no dropped shots on the Ernie Els-designed course. South Africa’s Fisher Jr. also had seven birdies but with two holes to complete in his opening round.

Another Englishman, Ross Fisher, and South Africans Jared Harvey and Erik van Rooyen shot 6-under 66s to be a shot behind Dyson in the European Tour event.

EAST LONDON, South Africa – Thomas Aiken beat Oliver Fisher in a playoff to claim the Africa Open title on Sunday and maintain South African players’ run of success on home soil at European Tour tournaments.

Aiken was the 10th home winner in the last 13 tour events in South Africa as he came from four shots off the lead with a final-round 66, tying with England’s Fisher at 20-under par overall at East London Golf Club.

Aiken won his third tour title and first in his home country by sinking a 30-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole.

“I’ve been waiting for this for quite some time,” Aiken said. “I’ve won a couple of times overseas but there is nothing like winning in front of a home crowd.”

Englishman David Horsey (65) and John Hahn (68) of the United States were tied for third a shot behind.

Aiken’s victory takes South Africans’ overall record to 36 victories in 58 European Tour tournaments in South Africa and continues the 100 per cent home winning record at the Africa Open. He also won after using his wife Kate as his caddie for the first time.

“Thanks so much to my wife … we might have to do it again,” he said.

South Africans Jaco van Zyl and Darren Fichardt were among a four-way tie for fifth that included another Englishman, David Bland, and overnight leader Emiliano Grillo of Argentina. Grillo slipped out of contention in the final round after a 2-over 73 to finish.

EAST LONDON, South Africa – Emiliano Grillo surged into a two-shot lead at the Africa Open with a 9-under 62 on Saturday, putting the Argentine in position for a first European Tour title.

In a tournament of low scoring at East London Golf Club, Grillo went lowest in the third round with nine birdies and no bogeys to move to 20 under overall, two strokes ahead of Englishman Oliver Fisher heading to the last round.

Fisher moved to 18 under with a 66 and was in contention following an up and down start when he made two birdies and an eagle in his last four holes.

Richard Bland of England, Thomas Aiken of South Africa and John Hahn of the United States – the overnight leader – were two behind Fisher and four off the lead on 16 under par.

EAST LONDON, South Africa – John Hahn had six birdies and an eagle in his back nine for a 10-under 61 to lead the Africa Open by two shots before the second round was postponed by darkness Friday.

American Hahn did finish after a 90-minute morning rain delay, and took just 28 strokes to come home after starting on No. 10 to go 16 under. He surged ahead of first-round leader Ricardo Santos, who shot a 5-under 66 to be 14 under overall.

Oliver Fisher and David Horsey were chasing at East London Golf Club, with Fisher third on 13 under after his 63 and Horsey another shot back after a 64.

Hahn’s putter was hot with three birdies and an eagle in four holes after the turn to give the U.S. qualifying school graduate a chance at a first career win.

EAST LONDON, South Africa – Ricardo Santos of Portugal fired a 9-under 62 for a two-shot lead in the first round of the Africa Open on Thursday.

Santos had five birdies going out and four birdies coming in for a flawless opening round at East London Golf Club.

In a four-way tie for second were Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard, Wales’ Rhys Davies, South Africa’s Garth Mulroy and England’s Richard Bland, who all shot 64s.

Americans Brinson Paolini and John Hahn were among a group of six players tied for sixth, three off Santos’ lead.

Santos was the 2012 rookie of the year on the European Tour and has a decent record in South Africa with top-30 finishes in his last five events.

“I’m very pleased to make a run like I did today,” he said. “I hit the ball solidly from the tee and my putting was all good. To shoot minus nine you have to play awesome golf.”

One of the last finishers, Santos overtook the field with three birdies in his last five holes after starting on No. 10. They ensured he was two clear of the chasing pack, which includes one of the home favourites, Mulroy. Mulroy had an eagle on No. 3, six birdies and a bogey.

Early leader Santos is one of a string of foreigners fighting home player dominance in South Africa. The four previous Africa Opens have been won by South Africans and George Coetzee’s victory at the Joburg Open last week was the ninth home win in the last 12 tour events in the country.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – George Coetzee came from four shots back to win the Joburg Open, his first European Tour title, and a place at the British Open on a profitable Sunday for the South African.

Coetzee’s final-round 6-under 66, with six birdies and no bogeys, took him to 19-under 268 overall and past compatriots Thomas Aiken and Justin Walters, the overnight co-leaders.

The 27-year-old Coetzee was flawless on the East Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club to clinch his maiden title in his 107th tour event, a sequence that included 24 top-10 finishes.

“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” he said. “I’m lost for words. I’ve been waiting a while and I started doubting so I’m very happy.”

Coetzee won by three shots from England’s Tyrrell Hatton (66), South Korea’s Jin Jeong (71) and Walters (73), who needed an eagle on the last to take Coetzee to a playoff and made bogey instead. Jeong and Walters claimed the other two British Open places on offer at Royal Joburg, with Hatton missing out because his world ranking was lower than the two he tied with for second, the European Tour said.

Aiken struggled to a 74 and was tied for fifth on 15 under with Englishmen Andy Sullivan and Matthew Baldwin and Spaniard Alvaro Quiros.

Charl Schwartzel, No. 4 in the Race to Dubai and the highest-placed player on Europe’s money list competing in Johannesburg, was tied for 59th after a second straight 72.

Coetzee was smooth through his final round to set the target at 19 under and birdied all three of the par 5s in his front nine. He enjoyed a lucky break on No. 15 when his wayward tee shot bounced off a tree and back into the fairway and he went on to sink a 20-foot putt for birdie.

Hatton and Jeong couldn’t catch him and, two shots back with two to play, Walters left a birdie putt just short on No. 17 to leave himself a tough task on the last. He could only manage bogey, with Coetzee, from nearby Pretoria, confirmed as the champion while he was signing autographs for fans.

“I got to share this with my family and my friends,” the first-time winner said. “It was my mum’s birthday yesterday and I wanted to do it for her as I forgot to buy her a present.”

Coetzee was the sixth South African to win the title in eight Joburg Opens.

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Edoardo Molinari and Craig Lee share the halfway lead at the Joburg Open on 11 under par, while David Horsey charged into contention with a 63 to sit a shot off the pace on Friday.

England’s Horsey went 8 under through his second round with eight birdies and no dropped shots on the par-71 West Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington to be in contention for a first European Tour title in three years.

Ahead of him, Molinari and Lee held onto their overnight advantage. Molinari had a 4-under 68 on the longer, tougher East Course and Lee a 67 on the West after a run of four birdies on the front nine.

South African George Coetzee (68) is alongside Horsey a shot back.

Finland’s Roope Kakko matched Horsey for best round of the day with his 8-under 64 on the East to move to 9 under after racing through the front nine with seven birdies. Kakko slowed on the back nine, and dropped shots at Nos. 10 and 16, but had done enough by then to be within striking distance of the top.

Charl Schwartzel made an inconsistent 70, with seven birdies and six bogeys, to sit in a tie for 55th on 4 under – flirting with the cut.

Players at the Joburg Open aren’t only chasing the $280,000 winner’s check. Three places in the British Open are available for the highest-placed finishers in the top 10 who have not already qualified.

The highest player in Johannesburg already with a place at the Open was Frenchman Gregory Bourdy in a tie for 12th, leaving a bunch of players to battle it out for the qualifying spots.

While Italy’s Molinari and Scotland’s Lee hold the edge ahead of the two final rounds on the East Course, Horsey’s performance on Friday started with six birdies in his first nine and was capped by a 30-foot putt for his eighth birdie on No. 16 to put him in sight of the title, and also a place at his home major.

“It’s (the British Open) at the back of my mind at the moment, but it’s certainly a bonus to consider near the end of the week,” Horsey said.

Molinari has looked like the player of 2010 – when he won both the Ryder Cup and his last tour title – over the opening two days in South Africa with his 64 and then a 68.

“I’m very happy with pretty much everything. I am very happy with my position and my game right now,” he said.

Lee is hanging in there to share the lead with Molinari. Kakko’s impressive 64 put him in a seven-way tie for fifth, two shots off the leaders.

Stephen Gallacher of Scotland shot a final round 72 Sunday to become the first player to successfully defend the Dubai Desert Classic title, beating Emiliano Grillo of Argentina by 1 stroke.

Gallacher fought back after four bogeys over his opening eight left him in a five-way tie for the lead after 11 holes.

He won the 25-year-old tournament with an overall 16-under 272. It’s only his third victory in 18 years and 431 events on the European Tour.

Grillo secured his best Tour finish with an overall 15-under 273 when he eagled the last hole for a round of 66. Frenchman Romain Wattel also shot a 66 to finish tied in third on 14-under 274 with Brooks Koepka (70) of the United States.

Rory McIlroy struggled with a 74 to finish tied for ninth while top-ranked Tiger Woods (71) birdied his closing three holes for a share of 41st with a 6-under 282.