Spaniard Pablo Martin was all over the place in the third round of the South African Open at Pearl Valley today, but ended it where he started — on course for a second successive victory.

The 23-year-old somehow scrambled his way to a level-par 72 and with a closing birdie returned to 11 under par and a one-stroke lead over Italian Edoardo Molinari.

Martin hit a spectator on the head when he flew over the green at the seventh, but holed a 20-foot effort for par.

Then, after bogeying the next two holes and falling into a tie with compatriot Alejandro Canizares, he made an outrageous birdie at the short 12th when his tee shot, heading for the water, hit a rock and came out.

Winner of the Alfred Dunhill Championship last Sunday, Martin could not escape from a wild drive down the 14th and double-bogeyed, but he battled on and got his reward with a chip-and-putt four on the 601-yard last.

While he looks to make it two wins out of two — and this a month after nearly losing his European Tour card — Molinari is seeking an amazing fifth victory in his last eight starts.

The 28-year-old, round in a three-under 69 despite having a double bogey himself on the seventh, needs only a top-nine finish to move into the world’s top 50 for the first time.

It would enable him to join his brother Francesco — they won the World Cup together last month — in The Masters at Augusta last April, but the title would also take him fourth on Europe’s Ryder Cup table.

That would be a stunning achievement for a player who played most of the year on the second tier Challenge Tour, but since topping their money list he has won in Japan and China.

Joint third are Denmark’s Anders Hansen, Swede Fredrik Andersson Hed and South African James Kingston, winner two years ago.

Canizares, son of former Ryder Cup player Jose Maria, took seven on the 13th as he fell to joint ninth five behind.

Alongside him are Scot Richie Ramsay, Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey and Louis Oosthuizen, who got the got the home fans cheering when he moved into third place, but then had an air shot over a tap-in bogey putt at the seventh.

His club caught the ground rather than the ball and he immediately told playing partner Canizares he had taken a stroke.

American Hale Irwin did the same thing in the third round of the 1983 Open at Birkdale and lost to Tom Watson by one the following day.

Hoey shot his third 70 of the week, with a double bogey at the seventh undoing three early birdies.

Damien McGrane shot a one-under 71 and is in a tie in 16th spot on four under, while Gareth Maybin (72) and Gary Murphy (71) are on one under.