ARNOLD, JERMINE AND CRISP SHARE
LEADING IN ENGLISH SENIORS

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Doug Arnold, three times the champion, shares the lead with John Jermine and Rod Crisp with a round left of the English Seniors Championship in Kent.
The Sussex man, who won the title in 2002, ‘03 and ‘06, carded 73 at Knole Park for 146, four over par, a mark equalled by Jermine, also with 73 at Knole Park, and by Crisp with 72 at Wildernesse.
The trio are a shot ahead of three more players, former Walker Cup man Peter Hedges, defending champion David Lane and his England seniors team-mate Chris Reynolds.
Crisp, 65, a member of the BB&O seniors team, admitted he was surprised to be the only man to match par so far at Wildernesse. “This is beyond my expectations,” he said. “I would have settled for 74 or 75 so I’m well pleased.”
Crisp, a three-handicapper from Stoke Mandeville, had only qualified for the final round once before, two years ago at Yelverton in Devon. “Then I got blown away in the wind,” he added.
Welshman Jermine, the 63 year old from Sunningdale, is a canny performer who cannot be discounted, while Arnold has the experience of being a previous winner as well as a seasoned senior international for England.
Hedges is the dark horse of this event. A member at Wildernesse, he navigated his own course in 76 strokes, not one of his best rounds which he fully acknowledged. “I managed to bogey four of the first five holes but covered the rest in level par,” said the former England international.
“I just couldn’t get my swing going today. I know this course like the back of my hand but perhaps that is the problem,” he joked.
“I’ll just have to sharpen up tomorrow.”
Lane, joint leader overnight after a 71 at Knole Park, also returned 76 at Wildernesse and was not happy to have “given it away a bit”.
“I played super to the sixth but then bogeyed three holes in a row,” said Lane. “I played the difficult holes O.K. then messed up the easiest part of the course.”
Kent man Reynolds, runner-up to Lane a year ago, stayed in contention for his first title with 73 at Knole Park to join his England team-mate on 147.
Alongside Lane overnight, Nick ‘Roy’ Rogers found Wildernesse a different kettle of fish and his 78 saw him slip down the field on 149.
Roy Smethurst, four times the champion, improved his chances with 74 at Knole Park for 151. “I played rubbish but managed to cut out the three-putts today which helped,” he said. In a week of high scoring, the cut came at 158 with 62 players qualifying for the final round at Wildernesse. It won’t include Robert Barrell from Braintree despite a hole-in-one at the 160-yard 15th hole in a round of 82.