The 16-year-old from Theewaterskloof Golf Club won the 2014 Nomads SA Boys U-15 Championship last year and is primed to chase down his second national victory on Friday.
Loubser took the lead with a blistering seven under 65 in the second round and kept control by limiting his mistakes on a tough scoring day at the Bushwillow Course.
He burst from the blocks with a birdie at the par-five first and traded bogeys at eight and 14 for birdies at 10 and 12 to finish on 10-under-par 206.
First round leader Werner Deysel carded a 70 to get back in the mix at five under, while fellow Gauteng North player Clifford Thompson (70) and Eric Wowor from Central Gauteng (72) finished a further stroke adrift.
Deon Germishuys from Western Province, Justin Kersten from Zimbabwe and Free State’s Wilco Nienaber share fifth on two under after respective rounds of 68, 72 and 72.
The biggest mover on the day was Gauteng North’s Otto von Buynder, who fired a five-under-par to climb 35 spots to a tie for 15th on 220.
The Blue Valley golfer countered bogeys at two, five and 17 with eight birdies.
Tournament director David Young said he and SAGA Golf Integration Manager Eden Thompson were quite impressed with Von Buynder’s effort.
“Given the tough set up, Otto’s 67 was a really exceptional score,” Younge said.
“The conditions were absolutely perfect for scoring today, but we moved some of the tees back to lengthen the course and tucked a few pins into tricky spots.
“We will do the same in the final round to give the juniors a good test. After we set up the course, Eden and I speculated that a 69, or possibly a 68, would be the low score.
THIRD ROUND LEADERBOARD – TOP 30
206 Herman Loubser 70 65 71
211 Werner Deyzel 65 76 70
212 Clifford Thompson 72 70 70; Eric Wowor 72 68 72
214 Deon Germishuys 75 71 68; Justin Kersten ZIM 72 70 72; Wilco Nienaber 69 73 72
215 Garrick Higgo 74 72 69; Luca Filippi 68 71 76
216 Keegan Mclachlan 73 73 70; Dylan Mostert 71 71 74; Luke Mayo 69 72 75
217 Willie Olivier 73 72 72; Guy Waterhouse 72 75 70
220 Otto van Buynder 77 76 67; Alex van Wyk 75 71 74; Keelan van Wyk 71 70 79
221 Sebastian Terblanche 75 76 70; Shaun Jones 74 75 72; Reece Haikney 74 74 73; Cole Stevens 73 72 76; Martin Vorster 72 78 71
222 Bryce Leach 80 73 69; Bradley de Beer 78 72 72; Keanu Pestana 75 75 72; Casey Jarvis 74 74 74; Vaughn van Deventer 72 77 73; Haydn Driver 71 74 77
223 Willem Boshoff 78 68 77; Chris Woollam 72 78 73
Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the South African Golf Association.
