Chris Wood leads Wentworth stars with a round to go
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Chris Wood, the 22-year-old from Bristol who had a shot to win The Open last July, leads a star-studded field going into the final day of his first BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
But late on Friday he never would have guessed the identity of the player who has suddenly charged into contention. Swede Robert Karlsson was in Monaco.
Wood's four-under-par 67 was a superb effort, but it came after Karlsson - so convinced he had missed the halfway cut that he took a mid-afternoon flight from London to Nice - had returned and produced a simply stunning course-record 62, the low round of the week by three.
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Links to more golf news:
Monty plays down Walton Heath hopes
Crazy day leaves Rose in disbelief
Beckman storms into joint lead
Kim out in front
===============================
Now the Ryder Cup ace could become the first man ever to win a European Tour event having made the cut with nothing to spare. That is something Rory McIlroy did in America earlier this month, so he knows it is possible.
After 54 holes, Wood is on the eight-under-par mark of 205, with Karlsson two behind in second spot as the round drew to a conclusion.
Asked where he ranked the round, Karlsson just smiled and replied: "Probably the most unexpected."
His chances of the £637,000 first prize were boosted further when second-round leader Luke Donald bogeyed the first two holes and struggled to the turn in 37, but Wood did not buckle.
Fifth and third in the last two Opens, he had a hat-trick of birdies from the second for an outward 32 and went three clear with more birdies on the 11th and 12th.
Wood, last season's rookie of the year, did then bogey the 13th and 15th, but he found the target from 25 feet at the 16th and a stunning bunker shot on the last enabled him to finish with a par five on the controversial new 18th.
Stephen Gallacher is the leading Scot after a 69 for three-under 205, five shots behind leader Wood. Paul Lawrie comes next in the Tartan Brigade, a shot behind Gallacher after a 71 for 211. Fellow Aberdonian Richie Ramsay, level with Lawrie at halfway, fell away to a 75 - as did Colin Montgomerie. Ramsay is on 215, a shot ahead of David Drysdale and Alastair Forsyth.
THIRD ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 213 (3x71)
205 Chris Wood 70 68 67.
207 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 75 70 62, Danny Willett 65 72 70
208 Luke Donald 68 68 72
210 James Kingston (Rsa) 68 69 73, Stephen Gallacher 69 72 69, Paul Casey 70 68 72, Marcel Siem (Ger) 69 70 71, Padraig Harrington 71 67 72
211 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 68 73 70, Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 74 71 66, Paul Lawrie 71 69 71
212 Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 69 70 73, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 71 72 69, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 71 71, Graeme McDowell 70 71 71, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 72 71 69, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 68 70 74, Simon Khan 72 69 71
213 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 72 69 72, Ross Fisher 67 70 76, Justin Rose 74 69 70, Joost Luiten (Ned) 71 74 68, Matteo Manassero (Ita) 71 70 72, Richard McEvoy 73 69 71
214 Steve Webster 67 74 73, Robert Rock 69 74 71, Jamie Donaldson 69 74 71, Simon Dyson 73 71 70
215 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 71 73 71, Damien McGrane 69 71 75, Richie Ramsay 67 73 75, Soren Hansen (Den) 72 73 70, Rhys Davies 70 70 75, Ernie Els (Rsa) 69 70 76, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 70 72 73, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 69 75, Paul McGinley 71 73 71
216 Peter Hanson (Swe) 70 72 74, Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 74 68 74, David Drysdale 71 71 74, Rory McIlroy 74 69 73, Paul Waring 71 74 71, Alastair Forsyth 75 70 71, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 72 73 71, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 67 73 76, Paul Broadhurst 71 72 73
217 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 68 74 75, Peter Whiteford 74 71 72, Colin Montgomerie 73 69 75, Nick Dougherty 71 73 73, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 76 68 73, Richard Finch 70 70 77, Shane Lowry 72 71 74, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 71 71 75, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 73 72 72, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 73 71 73, Lee Westwood 70 74 73
218 Gareth Maybin 68 75 75, David Howell 71 74 73, Richard Green (Aus) 66 75 77, Scott Strange (Aus) 69 74 75, Peter Lawrie 70 74 74, Ross McGowan 72 68 78, Oliver Fisher 72 71 75
219 Gregory Havret (Fra) 73 71 75
220 Craig Lee 69 76 75, Alexander Noren (Swe) 69 73 78, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 72 77, David Lynn 70 75 75
221 Danny Lee (Nzl) 68 77 76, Neil Cheetham 69 74 78, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 75 70 76, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 72 70 79
222 Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 68 73 81, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 71 72 79, Mark Brown (Nzl) 72 73 77
224 Mark Foster 73 72 79
FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Chris Wood, the 22-year-old from Bristol who had a shot to win The Open last July, leads a star-studded field going into the final day of his first BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
But late on Friday he never would have guessed the identity of the player who has suddenly charged into contention. Swede Robert Karlsson was in Monaco.
Wood's four-under-par 67 was a superb effort, but it came after Karlsson - so convinced he had missed the halfway cut that he took a mid-afternoon flight from London to Nice - had returned and produced a simply stunning course-record 62, the low round of the week by three.
===============================
Links to more golf news:
Monty plays down Walton Heath hopes
Crazy day leaves Rose in disbelief
Beckman storms into joint lead
Kim out in front
===============================
Now the Ryder Cup ace could become the first man ever to win a European Tour event having made the cut with nothing to spare. That is something Rory McIlroy did in America earlier this month, so he knows it is possible.
After 54 holes, Wood is on the eight-under-par mark of 205, with Karlsson two behind in second spot as the round drew to a conclusion.
Asked where he ranked the round, Karlsson just smiled and replied: "Probably the most unexpected."
His chances of the £637,000 first prize were boosted further when second-round leader Luke Donald bogeyed the first two holes and struggled to the turn in 37, but Wood did not buckle.
Fifth and third in the last two Opens, he had a hat-trick of birdies from the second for an outward 32 and went three clear with more birdies on the 11th and 12th.
Wood, last season's rookie of the year, did then bogey the 13th and 15th, but he found the target from 25 feet at the 16th and a stunning bunker shot on the last enabled him to finish with a par five on the controversial new 18th.
Stephen Gallacher is the leading Scot after a 69 for three-under 205, five shots behind leader Wood. Paul Lawrie comes next in the Tartan Brigade, a shot behind Gallacher after a 71 for 211. Fellow Aberdonian Richie Ramsay, level with Lawrie at halfway, fell away to a 75 - as did Colin Montgomerie. Ramsay is on 215, a shot ahead of David Drysdale and Alastair Forsyth.
THIRD ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 213 (3x71)
205 Chris Wood 70 68 67.
207 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 75 70 62, Danny Willett 65 72 70
208 Luke Donald 68 68 72
210 James Kingston (Rsa) 68 69 73, Stephen Gallacher 69 72 69, Paul Casey 70 68 72, Marcel Siem (Ger) 69 70 71, Padraig Harrington 71 67 72
211 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 68 73 70, Seung-yul Noh (Kor) 74 71 66, Paul Lawrie 71 69 71
212 Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 69 70 73, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 71 72 69, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 71 71, Graeme McDowell 70 71 71, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 72 71 69, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 68 70 74, Simon Khan 72 69 71
213 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 72 69 72, Ross Fisher 67 70 76, Justin Rose 74 69 70, Joost Luiten (Ned) 71 74 68, Matteo Manassero (Ita) 71 70 72, Richard McEvoy 73 69 71
214 Steve Webster 67 74 73, Robert Rock 69 74 71, Jamie Donaldson 69 74 71, Simon Dyson 73 71 70
215 Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 71 73 71, Damien McGrane 69 71 75, Richie Ramsay 67 73 75, Soren Hansen (Den) 72 73 70, Rhys Davies 70 70 75, Ernie Els (Rsa) 69 70 76, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 70 72 73, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 69 75, Paul McGinley 71 73 71
216 Peter Hanson (Swe) 70 72 74, Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 74 68 74, David Drysdale 71 71 74, Rory McIlroy 74 69 73, Paul Waring 71 74 71, Alastair Forsyth 75 70 71, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 72 73 71, Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia (Ind) 67 73 76, Paul Broadhurst 71 72 73
217 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 68 74 75, Peter Whiteford 74 71 72, Colin Montgomerie 73 69 75, Nick Dougherty 71 73 73, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 76 68 73, Richard Finch 70 70 77, Shane Lowry 72 71 74, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 71 71 75, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 73 72 72, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 73 71 73, Lee Westwood 70 74 73
218 Gareth Maybin 68 75 75, David Howell 71 74 73, Richard Green (Aus) 66 75 77, Scott Strange (Aus) 69 74 75, Peter Lawrie 70 74 74, Ross McGowan 72 68 78, Oliver Fisher 72 71 75
219 Gregory Havret (Fra) 73 71 75
220 Craig Lee 69 76 75, Alexander Noren (Swe) 69 73 78, Anders Hansen (Den) 71 72 77, David Lynn 70 75 75
221 Danny Lee (Nzl) 68 77 76, Neil Cheetham 69 74 78, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 75 70 76, Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 72 70 79
222 Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 68 73 81, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 71 72 79, Mark Brown (Nzl) 72 73 77
224 Mark Foster 73 72 79
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, May 22, 2010
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