HARARE - Local golfers Ignatius Mketekete, Greg Bentley and Micky Hough are in the hunt going into today’s final round at the Sunshine Big Easy Tour’s Centurion tournament.

Mketekete, who shot a 67 at the Centurion Country Club in South Africa yesterday, is just three shots behind overnight leader Derik Ferreira, who carded an opening round 64.

After carding a one-under 35 on the front nine, Mketekete made a string of birdies on his backward nine to finish his round on five-under.

If the Zimbabwean can maintain his form from yesterday, he will be in with a chance to challenge Ferreira.     

Bentley shot a three-under 69 to end his opening round five shots behind Ferreira.

The reigning Marange Resources champion started his round with an eagle on the par-five number one before dropping his first shot at number four.

Bentley birdied number nine to finish his inward nine on two-under 34.

He would drop one more shot on number 11 before consecutive birdies between 12 and 13 ensured that the Zimbabwean would end his round with a still with a chance to catch the leaders.

Hough, who won the Sunshine Big Easy Observatory tournament presented by Stonehage last month, is a further two strokes behind Bentley on one-under 71.

The Zimbabwe was on three-under going into the last two holes but missed a good opportunity to go on five-under when he bogeyed number eight and nine.

“I was hoping to finish my round with a flourish but I played some silly shots on the last two holes,” Hough told the Daily News yesterday.

“Coming into the tournament as the winner of the previous tournament didn’t really worry me a lot.  I was really playing but towards the end I hit one into the water and it went downhill from there on.”

Hough added: “My game plan for tomorrow (today) is to play some very aggressive golf so that I shoot an eight or nine-under to be in contention with the leaders.”