Swede dreams for Alexander Noren as he leads by two
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Alexander Noren leads with a round to play at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland - and how Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy wish they could have putted like the 27-year-old Swede.
Noren, seeking his first European Tour title, produced a sparkling 63 to move two ahead of South African Charl Schwartzel on 15 under par.
But McIlroy, needing to win to go to the top of the Tour money list, had 33 putts in a 70 which left him 10 adrift in 34th place. Westwood, with ambitions of finishing the season as number one as well, fared even worse. He three-putted the 14th, four-putted the 15th - both for bogey 6s - and then spun his approach to the last into the water.
That led to another dropped shot, an inward 40 and a 73 which sent him tumbling to 53rd place on only two under. These were not the starts to the European Ryder Cup points race they were hoping for.
Noren, seeking his first European Tour title, produced a sparkling 63 to move two ahead of South African Charl Schwartzel on 15 under par.
But McIlroy, needing to win to go to the top of the Tour money list, had 33 putts in a 70 which left him 10 adrift in 34th place. Westwood, with ambitions of finishing the season as number one as well, fared even worse. He three-putted the 14th, four-putted the 15th - both for bogey 6s - and then spun his approach to the last into the water.
That led to another dropped shot, an inward 40 and a 73 which sent him tumbling to 53rd place on only two under. These were not the starts to the European Ryder Cup points race they were hoping for.
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For more golf news, click on the links:
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In stark contrast, 27-year-old Noren could hardly miss over the closing stretch. He was three behind Schwartzel on the 15th tee but sank a seven-foot eagle putt there and then holed from 15 feet at the short 16th and 10 feet on the final green.
"I played pretty much the same as yesterday but was seven shots different, and that was pretty much seven putts different," he said.
"The greens are good, but as soon as you start missing you start forcing them. Today I was calmer and 'letting it happen' - as the mental coaches would say."
The former Oklahoma State University student is only 88th on the 'Race to Dubai' standings, but that is partly explained by two injury lay-offs - first his wrist and then his knee while out running.
Schwartzel shot 65 but was heading for something even better before he went from a greenside bunker into the trees on the 516-yard 15th and took six.
Welshman Bradley Dredge, winner in 2006 and desperate to play against the Americans on home soil at Celtic Manor next October, is three behind in third place following a 68.
In stark contrast, 27-year-old Noren could hardly miss over the closing stretch. He was three behind Schwartzel on the 15th tee but sank a seven-foot eagle putt there and then holed from 15 feet at the short 16th and 10 feet on the final green.
"I played pretty much the same as yesterday but was seven shots different, and that was pretty much seven putts different," he said.
"The greens are good, but as soon as you start missing you start forcing them. Today I was calmer and 'letting it happen' - as the mental coaches would say."
The former Oklahoma State University student is only 88th on the 'Race to Dubai' standings, but that is partly explained by two injury lay-offs - first his wrist and then his knee while out running.
Schwartzel shot 65 but was heading for something even better before he went from a greenside bunker into the trees on the 516-yard 15th and took six.
Welshman Bradley Dredge, winner in 2006 and desperate to play against the Americans on home soil at Celtic Manor next October, is three behind in third place following a 68.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)
198 Alexander Noren (Swe) 65 70 63
200 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 67 68 65
201 Bradley Dredge 68 65 68
202 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 65 68 69, Angelo Que (Phi) 69 65 68, Ross McGowan 67 67 68
203 Chris Wood 66 72 65, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 65 71 67
204 Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 70 66 68, Paul McGinley 66 68 70, Johan Edfors (Swe) 66 69 69
205 David Howell 68 69 68, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 71 68 66, Graeme Storm 69 66 70
206 Luke List (USA) 70 69 67, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 69 68 69, David Dixon 69 69 68, Marcel Siem (Ger) 67 70 69, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 71 68 67, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 68 71 67, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 71 69 66, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 70 67 69
207 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 68 69 70, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 68 64 75, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 69 68 70, Oliver Wilson 70 68 69, Robert Dinwiddie 74 66 67, Metteo Manassero (Ita) (am) 68 70 69, Simon Dyson 63 71 73, Paul Broadhurst 72 67 68, Brett Rumford (Aus) 62 73 72, Andres Romero (Arg) 65 70 72, Julien Clement (Swi) 69 67 71
208 Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 67 72 69, Rory McIlroy 67 71 70, Callum Macaulay 68 72 68, Danny Willett 65 71 72, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 68 72 68, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 70 68 70
209 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 67 72 70, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 65 70 74, Graeme McDowell 68 70 71, Benn Barham 70 66 73, Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 68 67 74, Pablo Martin (Spa) 70 66 73, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 68 71 70
210 Peter Hanson (Swe) 74 65 71, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 68 72 70, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 68 69 73, Tano Goya (Arg) 70 68 72, David Lynn 68 70 72, Mark Foster 70 70 70
211 Scott Drummond 72 67 72, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 69 71 71, Darren Clarke 69 68 74, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 69 69 73, Seve Benson 71 69 71, Anthony Kang (USA) 71 69 71, Danny Lee (Nzl) 71 67 73, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 70 70 71, Lee Westwood 71 67 73
212 Richard Bland 71 68 73, Gary Orr 69 71 72, David Horsey 70 70 72
213 David Drysdale 70 70 73, Gregory Havret (Fra) 68 71 74
214 Gareth Maybin 70 68 76
216 Michael Campbell (Nzl) 69 71 76
217 Anthony Wall 69 71 77
218 Gary Lockerbie 73 67 78
200 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 67 68 65
201 Bradley Dredge 68 65 68
202 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 65 68 69, Angelo Que (Phi) 69 65 68, Ross McGowan 67 67 68
203 Chris Wood 66 72 65, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 65 71 67
204 Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 70 66 68, Paul McGinley 66 68 70, Johan Edfors (Swe) 66 69 69
205 David Howell 68 69 68, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 71 68 66, Graeme Storm 69 66 70
206 Luke List (USA) 70 69 67, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 69 68 69, David Dixon 69 69 68, Marcel Siem (Ger) 67 70 69, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 71 68 67, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 68 71 67, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 71 69 66, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 70 67 69
207 Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 68 69 70, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 68 64 75, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 69 68 70, Oliver Wilson 70 68 69, Robert Dinwiddie 74 66 67, Metteo Manassero (Ita) (am) 68 70 69, Simon Dyson 63 71 73, Paul Broadhurst 72 67 68, Brett Rumford (Aus) 62 73 72, Andres Romero (Arg) 65 70 72, Julien Clement (Swi) 69 67 71
208 Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 67 72 69, Rory McIlroy 67 71 70, Callum Macaulay 68 72 68, Danny Willett 65 71 72, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 68 72 68, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 70 68 70
209 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 67 72 70, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 65 70 74, Graeme McDowell 68 70 71, Benn Barham 70 66 73, Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 68 67 74, Pablo Martin (Spa) 70 66 73, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 68 71 70
210 Peter Hanson (Swe) 74 65 71, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 68 72 70, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 68 69 73, Tano Goya (Arg) 70 68 72, David Lynn 68 70 72, Mark Foster 70 70 70
211 Scott Drummond 72 67 72, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 69 71 71, Darren Clarke 69 68 74, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 69 69 73, Seve Benson 71 69 71, Anthony Kang (USA) 71 69 71, Danny Lee (Nzl) 71 67 73, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 70 70 71, Lee Westwood 71 67 73
212 Richard Bland 71 68 73, Gary Orr 69 71 72, David Horsey 70 70 72
213 David Drysdale 70 70 73, Gregory Havret (Fra) 68 71 74
214 Gareth Maybin 70 68 76
216 Michael Campbell (Nzl) 69 71 76
217 Anthony Wall 69 71 77
218 Gary Lockerbie 73 67 78
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, September 05, 2009
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