CABRERA'S SLOPPY FINISH KEEPS DOOR
OPEN TO CHALLENGERS IN FINAL
ROUND AT BUENOS AIRES

By SCOTT CROCKETT
European Tour Chief Press Offficer
A disappointing finish might have given hope to the rest of the field but tournament favourite Angel Cabrera nevertheless clung onto the lead after the third round of the 102nd Abierto Visa de la República presentado por Peugeot.
The reigning US Open Champion eventually carded a level par 70 for a six under par total of 204 at the Buenos Aires Golf Club, Argentina to lead the way by two shots from Paraguay’s Marco Ruiz in the event co-sanctioned between the European Challenge Tour and the Tour de las Americas.
The 38 year old Cabrera will still begin the final round as strong favourite with the bookmakers to win the tournament for the third time – after having been second in the past two seasons – but had it not been for an uncharacteristically sloppy ending to his third round, Cabrera could have been out of sight for Sunday’s final 18 holes.
Having begun his third round in dynamic fashion with three birdies in his first four holes, Cabrera strode from the 15th green at nine under par for the tournament and with clear blue water between himself and the rest of the field.
But a bogey 5 at the 16th hole was followed by a trip into the water at the 17th on his way to a double bogey 6 on the home hole saw him home in 37 for 70.
“Today’s round was kind of weird,” said Cabrera. “I played great golf, striking the ball nicely, but the few shots I missed ended up costing me a lot. For a while I thought it was going to be my best round of the championship but it was not to be. But it is good I am still in the lead going into the final day.”
Nearest challenger Ruiz had no such worries on the closing stretch and indeed the 33 year old from Asuncion only shed one shot all day in his excellent 66 for a four under par total of 206, that coming at the short 11th.
But elsewhere the godson of Argentine golfing legend Vicente Fernandez was flawless, his only departures from par being good ones in the shape of birdies at the first, fourth, fifth, tenth and 15th holes.
Two shots further behind in a share of third place on two under par 208 going into the final day are two further Argentine golfers; Daniel Vancsik, winner of the 2007 Madeira Islands Open BPI on The European Tour who carded a third round 68 and the legendary Eduardo Romero, who started the day in second spot only one shot adrift of Cabrera but who slipped back after a third round 73.
Romero’s main problems came on the back nine which he covered in two over par 37 thanks to bogeys at the tenth and 16th but that was nothing compared to the trauma suffered by his namesake Andres – one of the most exciting talents to emerge from Argentina in recent years – over the closing stretch.
The winner of the 2007 Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship of Europe and the man who finished third in the Open Championship at Carnoustie appeared to have emerged as the main challenger to Cabrera thanks to a sparkling opening to his third round where he notched three birdies in his first six holes to move onto the coattails of the leader.
But, turning for home, the wheels came off Romero’s challenge in spectacular fashion. Double bogeys at both the 11th and 13th featured either side of a bogey at the 12th and although he birdied the 15th, further bogeys at the 16th and 17th saw him cover the last eight holes in six over par. In the end he had to settle for a 75 and a four over par total of 214, ten shots off the pace.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 210 (3 x 70)
Players from Argentina unless stated
204 A Cabrera 66 68 70.
206 M Ruiz (Par) 71 69 66.
208 D Vancsik 70 70 68, E Romero 67 68, 73.
209 I Weintraub (US) 69 68 72.
210 A Rocha (Bra) 69 68 73.
211 G Acosta 73 68 70, L Gagli (Ita) 75 64 72.
213 B-T Lecuona (Fra) 69 70 74, M Tullo (Chi) 76 67 70, A Villavicencio (Gtm) 71 69 73, B Wiesberger (Aut) 73 70 70.
214 R Echenique 72, 69, 73; S Fernandez 68, 76, 70; B Alvarado (Chi) 71, 66, 77; A Romero 68, 71, 75; V Fernandez 72, 69, 73; M Molina 73, 72, 69; B Coathalem (Fra) 68, 74, 72; R Aranda 69, 73, 72;
215 J Coceres 70, 74, 71; C Monasterio 74, 70, 71; Ricardo Gonzalez 71, 73, 71; B Parker (Eng) 68, 73, 74; J Amaya (Col) 71, 74, 70; F Gomez 71, 69, 75; M Guzman 69, 69, 77; D Wardrop (Eng) 73, 72, 70;
216 A Schmidt Hansen (Den) 72, 73, 71; M Haastrup (Den) 70, 73, 73; M Fernandez 73, 72, 71; R Carter (USA) 73, 71, 72; J Etulain (am) 74, 72, 70;
217 M Bliss (Can) 70, 72, 75; E Argiro 75, 70, 72; N Lemke (Swe) 75, 71, 71; C Cardeza 70, 74, 73; J Gil 74, 70, 73;
218 T Rice (Irl) 73, 73, 72; A Jauretche 75, 70, 73; R Gomez 71, 72, 75; H Carbonetti 70, 72, 76; D Barbetti 74, 70, 74;
219 J Fransson (Swe) 74, 68, 77; M Soria 71, 71, 77; B Evans (Eng) 74, 71, 74; A Bernadet (Fra) 71, 71, 77; I Sanchez-Palencia (Esp) 76, 70, 73; R Goti 77, 69, 73; E Grillo (am) 70, 73, 76;
220 M Anslemo 74, 71, 75; D Altamirano 74, 70, 76; P Pinto 74, 71, 75; H Rey 73, 73, 74; Rodolfo Gonzalez 73, 73, 74; R Coceres 75, 71, 74;
221 C Carranza 71, 71, 79; G Rojas 70, 72, 79; D Vanegas (Col) 68, 75, 78; J Huldahl (Den) 74, 70, 77;
222 F Cabrera 71, 72, 79; A Wagner 70, 75, 77; I Urquizu (Esp) 73, 73, 76;
223 N Sedler 75, 70, 78; T Weiss (Sui) 72, 74, 77;
224 L Dodda (Ita) 73, 71, 80;
226 F Zacarias 75, 71, 80; M Carballo 80, 65, 81;