Kaymer six shots behind

 leader Poulter

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Germany's Martin Kaymer looks bound to be crowned Europe's No 1, but probably not World No 1 as well.
The 25-year-old will almost certainly have to win the Dubai World Championship for both dreams to come true, but a closing double bogey 7 has left him six shots adrift of Ryder Cup team-mate Ian Poulter, the leader with 18 holes remaining.
Seeing his pitch to the 620yd last roll into the ditch that snakes its way in front of and beside the green was a big blow to Kaymer's hopes of a fifth victory this season.
But with Graeme McDowell, his only remaining money list challenger, down in 30th place and needing a third-place finish at worse to have a chance, that particular race looks over.
Even the Ulsterman feels that way.
"Barring the impossible, Europe's number one is not a reality for me any more," he told reporters after a 69 took him to two under par, 10 behind Poulter.
"Martin is definitely going to do it unless I shoot 55, which unless one of you boys putts for me isn't going to happen."
Kaymer commented after his 73: "It looks like I have won the Race to Dubai, which was my goal coming here.
"That's nice, but it would be more satisfying if I shoot a low round - between 66 and 63, which I think is possible."
Lee Westwood is the man he is trying to dethrone on the world rankings, but the Worksop golfer still has a chance of making a successful defence of this event after a 71 for nine under and joint-fifth place.

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
204 Ian Poulter 69 66 69
206 Francesco Molinari (Italy) 71 67 68, Ross Fisher 71 64 71, Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 68 69 69
207 Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 65 75 67, Lee Westwood 69 67 71
208 Paul Casey 70 67 71, Alvaro Quiros (Spain) 72 67 69
209 Rory McIlroy 71 72 66, Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa) 73 66 70
210 Martin Kaymer (Germany) 67 70 73, Luke Donald 74 67 69
211 Robert Jan Derksen (Netherlands) 71 70 70, Anders Hansen (Denmark) 74 70 67, Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 72 72 67, Peter Lawrie 76 67 68, Y E Yang (S Korea) 71 69 71, Raphael Jacquelin (France) 70 70 71, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 69 71 71
212 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 71 71 70, Peter Hanson (Swe) 76 69 67, Thomas Aiken (S Africa) 70 72 70, Chris Wood 73 70 69, Matteo Manassero (Italy) 74 68 70, Marcus Fraser (Australia) 72 71 69
213 Seung-yul Noh (S Korea) 66 73 74, Sergio Garcia (Spain) 69 74 70, Soren Hansen (Den) 74 70 69, Padraig Harrington 74 70 69
214 Graeme McDowell 72 73 69, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 73 71 70
215 Brett Rumford (Aus) 71 70 74, Richie Ramsay 73 69 73, Gary Boyd 70 75 70, Ernie Els (S Africa) 73 70 72, Richard Green (Australia) 72 73 70, Darren Clarke 71 71 73, Gregory Havret (France) 72 73 70
216 Retief Goosen (S Africa) 78 72 66, Oliver Wilson 75 73 68, Simon Dyson 72 71 73
217 Charl Schwartzel (S Africa) 69 75 73, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 69 71 77, David Horsey 70 73 74, Jamie Donaldson 78 67 72, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 75 73 69
218 Stephen Gallacher 73 74 71, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 70 69 79, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Sweden) 75 69 74, Johan Edfors (Sweden) 73 74 71
220 John Parry 75 69 76, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 75 76 69, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 73 72 75, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 72 73 75
221 Gareth Maybin 73 71 77, Simon Khan 73 77 71
223 Robert Rock 76 73 74, Rhys Davies 75 74 74
224 Danny Willett 76 76 72
229 Damien McGrane 74 78 77
Par 216 (3x72)

A putt drops for Sandy Lyle in Japan (picture by courtesy of Getty Images).

Lyle, Oldcorn still in the hunt

at Japan Senior Masters

 NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE EUROPEAN TOUR
Frankie Minoza and Satoshi Higashi will take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Handa Cup Senior Masters with double Major Champion among those chasing in Japan.
Minoza of the Philippines shot a second round 68 to move to 12 under par 204 with Japan’s Higashi joining him at the top at Ohmurasaki Golf Club with a 67 on the Senior Tour’s historic first visit to Japan.
Scotland’s Lyle compiled his third successive round in the 60s, the former Masters and Open Champion shooting a 69 to lie at ten under par alongside Japan’s Kiyoshi Murota and Masahiro Kuramoto. Overnight joint leader Andrew Oldcorn, also of Scotland, carded a 71 to lie in sixth place on 207, just three strokes off the pace.
Higashi, who chipped in on the ninth for an eagle, played with Lyle and defending champion Ian Woosnam in the 1996 Masters Tournament at Augusta National and said: “I really want to win, by mostly I want to enjoy tomorrow.
“I played with Woosnam and Lyle in 1996 at the Masters, and it is a great honour to play with them this week here in Japan. We have many good and strong players here.”
Lyle, runner-up last week in Perth, birdied the 18th to keep himself in the frame for a maiden Senior Tour title.
“It’s been a long time since I won in Japan, or on any tour for that matter,” said Lyle. “My last few seasons haven’t been great by my standards. Last week I finished second in Perth which was my best finish for a while, but I would like to improve this with a victory this week. Last week I was close, this week I am close again.”
Oldcorn, who went out of bounds on the 16th on his way to running up a bogey, was impressed with playing partner Minoza’s performance.
“Frankie was imperious out there,” he said. “That was the easiest 68 you’ll probably ever see. He’s a cool dude who just gets on with it – a great guy to play with. With his distance the course is an easy 68 or 69 for him.”
As for his own round, he said: “On the 16th I hit probably my worst shot in months. It was a terrible swing with my rescue club, straight into the air and out of bounds. Other than that I played well. I know I played well so I am not disheartened and I’m only a few behind.”

LEADING THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)

213 I Woosnam (Wales) 70 69 74, R Chapman (England) 72 69 72, M Ito 72 69 72, N Yuhara 70 72 71, Y Mizumaki 72 71 70, H Ueda 67 76 70, D Smyth (Ireland) 71 72 70, H Hagiwara 73 70 70.
214 M Clayton 71 74 69, S Kuraoka 71 74 69, N Fujiike  72 72 70, B Longmuir (Scotland) 73 70 71.
215 J Harrison (England) 71 71 73, P Fowler (Australia) 71 71 73, D  Merriman 71 71 73, C Williams 70 76 69, D Ishii 73 73 69, H Kato 74 71 70, Kazuhiro Takami 71 71 73, S Ikeuchi 73 71 71 215
216 T Hiraishi 71 73 72, G Wolstenholme (England) 73 72 71, Graham Banister 74 72 70.
Selected totals:
218 Nick Job (England) 71 72 75, Gordon J Brand (England) 68 75 75 218
220 Kevin Spurgeon (England) 72 71 77, M Belsham 68 72 80, George Ryall (England) 75 71 74.204 F Minoza (Philippines) 70 66 68, S Higashi (Japan) 69 68 67.
206 S Lyle (Scotland) 68 69 69, K Murota (Japan) 72 66 68, M Kuramoto (Japan) 69 71 66.
207 A Oldcorn (Scotland) 70 66 71.
208 S Okuda (Japan) 67 71 70, K Maita 70 68 70.
210 K Takahashi (Japan) 69 69 72, B Lane (England) 67 72 71, B Ruangkit (Thailand) 69 73 68.
211 M Farry (France) 66 71 74, A Franco (Paraguay) 70 69 72, M Harwood (Australia 71 70 70, T Watanabe (Japan) 70, 72, 69.
212 K Tomori (Japan) 66 72 74, D J Russell (England) 71 68 73, G Sato (Japan) 69 73 70, W Grady (Aus) 71 72 69, Y Yamamato 70 73 69, R Drummond (Scotland) 72 69 71.

Tuesday's Midland Alliance snowed off

The Midland Golfers’ Alliance A. Duncan Powakaddy team competition at Drumoig, near Leuchars, due be held on Tuesday (November 30), has been re-scheduled for Tuesday, December 14 (tee reserved from 8am to 12.15) due to the snow.
Next meeting is at Charleton golf course on Tuesday, December 7 (8.45am to noon tee reserved).

Prom and Kruger share King's

Cup lead in Thailand

FROM THE ASIAN TOUR WEBSITE
Khon Kaen, Thailand: Thailand ’s Prom Meesawat is on course to win his first Asian Tour title in four years after taking a share of the third round lead with South African Jbe Kruger at the King’s Cup tournament today.
Prom, nicknamed the “Big Dolphin”, fired a two-under-par 70 while Kruger battled to a 69 to tie for the lead on a three-day total of 11-under-par 205 at the Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club.
An in-form Pariya Junhasavasdikul of Thailand notched two eagles en route to a 66 for a 206 total to share third place with Australian Tony Carolan (71), who struggled with a bout of flu at the US$300,000 event presented by Singha and the Sports Authority of Thailand.
Thai legend Thaworn Wiratchant fired a 69 to lie in fifth position on a 209 total, four off the leaders while Korean Mo Joong-kyung with Thai trio Panuphol Pittayarat, Kwanchai Tannin and Udorn Duangdecha are a stroke back.
The big-hitting Prom birdied three of his opening four holes before turning in 34. He was disappointed not to convert his birdie chances in his back nine as he closed with one birdie and one bogey.
“I had a lot of birdie chances but it didn’t go in. I was putting better than yesterday and to shoot under-par and still be in contention is good enough for me,” said Prom, whose sole Asian Tour victory was in 2006.
Prom, who has been struggling with a shoulder injury in the past two years, will be on attack mode as he is determined to win the King’s honour.
“Winning the King’s Cup is not for your individual gain but for the King and people of Thailand . He is such a good King and many Thais are hoping that the title stays in the country,” said Prom.
The diminutive Kruger bounced back from a double bogey on the eighth hole with birdies on holes eight, nine, 12, 16 and 18 to put himself in contention on the Asian Tour for the third time this season. He finished second at the Handa Singapore Classic and Brunei Open, where he lost in a play-off to Siddikur of Bangladesh.
“I’m getting used to playing under a lot of pressure and being in contention. I’ve been in this position on numerous occasions and I’ve learnt that you must not think ahead but play one shot at a time. I’m going to treat it like a brand new day tomorrow,” said Kruger, who has won twice in South Africa .
Pariya chipped in for eagle on the third hole from 120 yards before saving par on the eighth hole with a 68 yard chip in. His impressive streak continued when he sank a massive 60 feet putt for eagle on the 15th hole.
He has been in immaculate form this season with three top-10s and remained in a strong position of securing a second Asian Tour victory.
“What more can I say? I was a very lucky boy. Nothing went my way yesterday and it was the opposite today. It means a lot to win the King’s Cup and hopefully it will be me or Prom who win it,” said Pariya, who won his maiden Asian Tour title at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters last month.
Carolan, who is searching for his maiden Asian Tour victory, struggled with a bout of flu but was delighted to stay in touch with the leaders.
“I was struggling to get through my round because my energy level was down. I’m going to take some medicine and rest a lot. I’m not even going to practise. Hopefully I’ll get better tomorrow,” said the Australian, 48th on the Order of Merit.
THIRD-ROUND LEADING TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
205 - Prom Meesawat (THA) 68-67-70, Jbe Kruger (RSA) 71-65-69
206 - Tony Carolan (AUS) 66-69-71, Pariya Junhasavasdikul (THA) 68-72-66
209 - Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 70-70-69
210 - Mo Joong-kyung (KOR) 67-70-73, Panuphol Pittayarat (THA) 71-66-73, Kwanchai Tannin (THA) 68-70-72, Udorn Duangdecha (THA) 70-71-69
211 - Gavin Flint (AUS) 71-72-68, Mark Purser (NZL) 71-72-68, Kim Young-jin (KOR) 73-70-68
212 - Chris Rodgers (ENG) 69-74-69, Baek Seuk-hyun (KOR) 74-70-68
213 - Quincy Quek (SIN) 71-67-75, Lam Chih Bing (SIN) 73-68-72, Atthaphon Prathummanee (THA) 71-71-71
214 - Unho Park (AUS) 69-70-75, Ben Leong (MAS) 69-72-73, Hwang In-choon (KOR) 69-73-72

DUBAI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - THIRD DAY


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News from Dubai that so few spectators turned up for the first two days' play, that the organisers have now decided admission will be free for the remainder of the championship! And this is an event with all the top European-born professionals on view.
Scroll down to read Alistair Tait's enlightening article on the subject.