ROOKIE MICHAEL STILL LEADS ALFRED DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Rookie Anthony Michael holds a one-shot lead going into Sunday's final round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, but he has the defending champion hot on his heels.
With difficult pin positions at Leopard Creek Country Club, Malelane, preventing low scoring – only former Ryder Cup hero Phillip Price managed a bogey-free round – Michael’s one under par 71 was enough to preserve his position at the top of the leaderboard.
“I am feeling the pressure,” admitted Michael, “but I learned a lot from when I led into the final round of the Zimbabwe Open and finished fourth.
“Starting with two bogeys in the first three holes was not ideal, but I was able to get myself back, and that’s where the experience of Zimbabwe helped.”
The 25-year-old South African rookie sits ten under par with 18 holes remaining, one in front of compatriot Dawie Van Der Walt, who fired a two under 70, and Spaniard Martin – the man who captured the title 12 months ago.
Martin, who was the first amateur to win on The European Tour in 2007, shot a four under 68, which was only one shot outside Thomas Aiken’s best-of-the-day 67.
The highlight of the 24-year-old’s round came at the long 15th, where he hit a tremendous three wood approach over the water to eight feet and holed the putt for an eagle 3.
He also eagled the par-5 13th by chipping in, as well as carding two bogeys and two birdies.
“It’s a game,” said Martin. “Why wouldn’t I go for my shots, especially in the third round?
“I played like a dog. I wasn’t driving well at all, so I ended up taking a three-wood off the tee. It was a good 68 because it could quite easily have gone the other way as well.”
The pressure of leading a big event looked to have got to Michael when he dropped shots on two of his first three holes, but he steadied his round with four birdies and only one further bogey.
Big-hitting Van Der Walt finished with a birdie after clearing the water at the dangerous 18th in two to sign for a round which included five gains and three dropped shots.
Last year’s runner-up and former winner Charl Schwartzel shot a round of 69 to share fourth place with another South African, Alex Haindl, on seven under par.
“I’m swinging well, and today the putting stroke felt the best it did for the last three days,” said Schwartzel.
SCOTSWATCH. David Drysdale, after three steady rounds of 70, 70 and 72, is joint seventh on 212 - six shots off the pace. Scott Jamieson lost a bit of ground with a two-over-par 74 after earlier rounds of 71 and 68 but, on 213 with 18 holes to go, a sub-70 final round could get him into the top 10.
Alan McLean, the third Scot to survive the halfway cut, has been going backwards down the field after following a promising opening round of 70 with scores of 74 and 75 for three-over-par 219.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
206 Anthony Michael (Rsa) 66 69 71
207 Dawie Van Der Walt (Rsa) 67 70 70, Pablo Martin (Spa) 69 70 68
209 Alex Haindl (Rsa) 71 66 72, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 70 69
211 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 72 72 67
212 Robert Rock 67 70 75, David Drysdale 70 70 72, Jbe Kruger (Rsa) 72 69 71, Robert Dinwiddie 69 72 71, TC Charamba (Zim) 70 72 70
213 Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) 71 68 74, Phillip Price 70 75 68, Scott Jamieson 71 68 74
214 Grant Muller (Rsa) 70 74 70, David Howell 72 68 74, Dale Whitnell 74 70 70, Keith Horne (Rsa) 68 71 75
215 Tjaart Van Der Walt (Rsa) 70 70 75, Julien Quesne (Fra) 73 70 72, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 71 73 71, Marius Thorp (Nor) 67 71 77
216 Neil Cheetham 71 68 77, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 68 72 76, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 73 72 71, Jean Hugo (Rsa) 74 72 70, Kyron Sullivan 72 72 72, Sebastian Buhl (Ger) 67 74 75, Seve Benson 72 72 72
217 Martin Wiegele (Aut) 72 70 75, Lee Slattery 71 73 73, James Kingston (Rsa) 69 71 77, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 68 73 76, Julio Zapata (Arg) 70 71 76, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 73 72 72
218 Merrick Bremner (Rsa) 72 74 72, Damien McGrane 72 73 73, Matt Ford 76 68 74, Klas Eriksson (Swe) 68 78 72, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 74 72 72, Trevor Fisher Jnr (Rsa) 71 72 75, Michael Hoey 74 72 72
219 Floris De Vries (Ned) 73 72 74, Christiaan Basson (Rsa) 75 70 74, Alan McLean 70 74 75, Tyrone Van Aswegen (Rsa) 74 71 74
220 Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 69 70 81
221 Desvonde Botes (Rsa) 73 73 75, Jeremy Kavanagh 69 77 75, Divan Van Den Heever (Rsa) 71 73 77, Rikard Karlberg (Swe) 77 68 76, Bradford Vaughan (Rsa) 72 73 76, Kenneth Ferrie 74 72 75, Gregory Molteni (Ita) 71 75 75, Jean-Nicolas Billot (Fra) 71 72 78, Anders Sjostrand (Swe) 70 74 77, Colin Nel (Rsa) 70 74 77
222 Mark Laskey 73 69 80, Doug McGuigan 74 72 76, Marcus Palm (Swe) 74 70 78, Alex Cejka (Ger) 75 69 78
223 Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 71 72 80, Mark Brown (Nzl) 69 74 80
224 Garry Houston 76 70 78, Grant Jackson 78 68 78
225 Justin Harding (Rsa) 74 71 80
227 Johan Du buisson (Rsa) 71 75 81, David Dixon 74 72 81
Rookie Anthony Michael holds a one-shot lead going into Sunday's final round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa, but he has the defending champion hot on his heels.
With difficult pin positions at Leopard Creek Country Club, Malelane, preventing low scoring – only former Ryder Cup hero Phillip Price managed a bogey-free round – Michael’s one under par 71 was enough to preserve his position at the top of the leaderboard.
“I am feeling the pressure,” admitted Michael, “but I learned a lot from when I led into the final round of the Zimbabwe Open and finished fourth.
“Starting with two bogeys in the first three holes was not ideal, but I was able to get myself back, and that’s where the experience of Zimbabwe helped.”
The 25-year-old South African rookie sits ten under par with 18 holes remaining, one in front of compatriot Dawie Van Der Walt, who fired a two under 70, and Spaniard Martin – the man who captured the title 12 months ago.
Martin, who was the first amateur to win on The European Tour in 2007, shot a four under 68, which was only one shot outside Thomas Aiken’s best-of-the-day 67.
The highlight of the 24-year-old’s round came at the long 15th, where he hit a tremendous three wood approach over the water to eight feet and holed the putt for an eagle 3.
He also eagled the par-5 13th by chipping in, as well as carding two bogeys and two birdies.
“It’s a game,” said Martin. “Why wouldn’t I go for my shots, especially in the third round?
“I played like a dog. I wasn’t driving well at all, so I ended up taking a three-wood off the tee. It was a good 68 because it could quite easily have gone the other way as well.”
The pressure of leading a big event looked to have got to Michael when he dropped shots on two of his first three holes, but he steadied his round with four birdies and only one further bogey.
Big-hitting Van Der Walt finished with a birdie after clearing the water at the dangerous 18th in two to sign for a round which included five gains and three dropped shots.
Last year’s runner-up and former winner Charl Schwartzel shot a round of 69 to share fourth place with another South African, Alex Haindl, on seven under par.
“I’m swinging well, and today the putting stroke felt the best it did for the last three days,” said Schwartzel.
SCOTSWATCH. David Drysdale, after three steady rounds of 70, 70 and 72, is joint seventh on 212 - six shots off the pace. Scott Jamieson lost a bit of ground with a two-over-par 74 after earlier rounds of 71 and 68 but, on 213 with 18 holes to go, a sub-70 final round could get him into the top 10.
Alan McLean, the third Scot to survive the halfway cut, has been going backwards down the field after following a promising opening round of 70 with scores of 74 and 75 for three-over-par 219.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
206 Anthony Michael (Rsa) 66 69 71
207 Dawie Van Der Walt (Rsa) 67 70 70, Pablo Martin (Spa) 69 70 68
209 Alex Haindl (Rsa) 71 66 72, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 70 69
211 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 72 72 67
212 Robert Rock 67 70 75, David Drysdale 70 70 72, Jbe Kruger (Rsa) 72 69 71, Robert Dinwiddie 69 72 71, TC Charamba (Zim) 70 72 70
213 Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) 71 68 74, Phillip Price 70 75 68, Scott Jamieson 71 68 74
214 Grant Muller (Rsa) 70 74 70, David Howell 72 68 74, Dale Whitnell 74 70 70, Keith Horne (Rsa) 68 71 75
215 Tjaart Van Der Walt (Rsa) 70 70 75, Julien Quesne (Fra) 73 70 72, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 71 73 71, Marius Thorp (Nor) 67 71 77
216 Neil Cheetham 71 68 77, Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 68 72 76, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 73 72 71, Jean Hugo (Rsa) 74 72 70, Kyron Sullivan 72 72 72, Sebastian Buhl (Ger) 67 74 75, Seve Benson 72 72 72
217 Martin Wiegele (Aut) 72 70 75, Lee Slattery 71 73 73, James Kingston (Rsa) 69 71 77, Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spa) 68 73 76, Julio Zapata (Arg) 70 71 76, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 73 72 72
218 Merrick Bremner (Rsa) 72 74 72, Damien McGrane 72 73 73, Matt Ford 76 68 74, Klas Eriksson (Swe) 68 78 72, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 74 72 72, Trevor Fisher Jnr (Rsa) 71 72 75, Michael Hoey 74 72 72
219 Floris De Vries (Ned) 73 72 74, Christiaan Basson (Rsa) 75 70 74, Alan McLean 70 74 75, Tyrone Van Aswegen (Rsa) 74 71 74
220 Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 69 70 81
221 Desvonde Botes (Rsa) 73 73 75, Jeremy Kavanagh 69 77 75, Divan Van Den Heever (Rsa) 71 73 77, Rikard Karlberg (Swe) 77 68 76, Bradford Vaughan (Rsa) 72 73 76, Kenneth Ferrie 74 72 75, Gregory Molteni (Ita) 71 75 75, Jean-Nicolas Billot (Fra) 71 72 78, Anders Sjostrand (Swe) 70 74 77, Colin Nel (Rsa) 70 74 77
222 Mark Laskey 73 69 80, Doug McGuigan 74 72 76, Marcus Palm (Swe) 74 70 78, Alex Cejka (Ger) 75 69 78
223 Steven Jeppesen (Swe) 71 72 80, Mark Brown (Nzl) 69 74 80
224 Garry Houston 76 70 78, Grant Jackson 78 68 78
225 Justin Harding (Rsa) 74 71 80
227 Johan Du buisson (Rsa) 71 75 81, David Dixon 74 72 81
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, December 11, 2010
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