FRENCHMAN JACQUELIN LEADS BUT SICILIAN OPEN NOT OVER YET
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Frenchman Raphaël Jacquelin will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Sicilian Open after overhauling long-time leader Anthony Wall in the closing stages of day three.
Jacquelin and Wall had threatened to turn the event into a two-horse race when they pulled clear of the chasing pack at the Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa.
However, both men dropped shots down the stretch to leave the tournament wide open ahead of Sunday’s play, which will begin with 13 players within four shots of the lead.
Veteran Welshman Phillip Price and England’s Jamie Elson are tied for third on six under. Price fired seven birdies and three bogeys in an eventful 67, while Elson birdied the 16th and 17th holes to vault up the leaderboard.
Jacquelin’s bogey at 16 was the only blemish in an otherwise faultless round of 69 for the Frenchman, who claimed his last European Tour victory at the 2007 BMW Asian Open.
He picked up shots at the first and fourth holes en route to a front nine of 33, which overnight leader Wall would have matched were it not for a bogey at the short eighth.
Jacquelin moved level with his rival with another birdie at the 12th and Wall then dropped another shot at 15 before both men bogeyed the following hole.
“I was just trying to concentrate only on my game and I am really pleased with the way that I am hitting the ball at the moment,” said Jacquelin.
“I’m hitting my new driver really well and staying patient on the greens which you have to do here. I just have to try and keep going and stay patient tomorrow and make some good opportunities for birdies. That’s the aim anyway."
The 36-year-old insists he does not feel burdened by extra pressure as he looks to end his winning drought.
“I don’t think about it,” he added. "If I win, I win, if not then it doesn’t really matter. Obviously I want to win and came here to win but we are all here to win and there are a lot of guys playing each week and there can only be one winner.
“If I win it would be cool but if not I will still be really happy to have a good result and to enjoy the way that I am playing because I am having a lot of fun out there.”
Wall rued his failure to capitalise on an encouraging start.
“I played well actually but then kind of hit a brick wall around the turn,” he said. "I just felt that I should have probably been two or three shots better off at that point and I just lost a bit of momentum.
“I felt that I should have been six ahead of the field and then was seeing that other guys were getting closer to me.
“I should have dealt with it better because I have a lot of experience but I didn’t do too well with that mentally. I lost a bit of concentration because I got a bit down on myself.”
Price was pleased with his efforts after battling to shoot 71 and 69 in the opening two rounds.
“I struggled on the first day, I hit the ball really poorly and I was kind of thinking ‘where’s my coach’ but I managed to make a good job of it,” he explained.
“Yesterday was better and (it was) probably even better again today so it’s improved every day.
“I think the course probably suits me. It’s a bit of a windy, fiddly course and my experience gives me some help.”
When asked about a possible victory push on Sunday, Price replied: “If I play like I did today, I’ve got a chance.”
“It is disappointing in the sense that this flu has caused me to miss an opportunity today – I felt that I had a chance to make a move and get into contention for the final round. I played okay but you can’t do much when you feel as weak as I do now.”
Monty, who had earlier bogeyed the third but birdied the seventh, looked set for a sub-par round after birdieing the 17th but he wilted at the last which cost him a bogey.
Stephen Gallacher (72) and Paul Lawrie (73) are jointly on level par 213, sharing 44th place. Gallacher had a double bogey 5 at the short eighth and dropped other shots at the 10th and 11th. He got only three of them back with birdies at the fifth, seventh and 16th in halves of 35-37.
Lawrie had 34 putts, although he says on his blog that he did not putt poorly, just couldn't get the ball close enough to the pin with his approach shots. He had a solitary birdie at the 11th but dropped sots at the third, 14th and 16th in halves of 36-37.
LEADERBOARD
Par 213 (3x71)
204 Raphael Jacquelin (France) 66 69 69.
205 Anthony Wall (England) 66 67 72.
207 Philip Price (Wales) 71 69 67, Jamie Elson (England) 69 69 69.
208 Peter Whiteford (Scotland) 74 68 66, Simon Dyson (England) 71 70 67, Jose Manuel Lara (Spain) 65 75 68, Robert Dinwiddie (England) 70 69 69, Soren Hansen (Denmark) 69 70 69, Chris Wood (England) 67 71 70, Joel Sjoholm (Sweden) 70 68 70, Oscar Floren (Sweden) 69 68 71, Richard Green (Australia) 68 67 73.
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
209 Scott Jamieson 71 70 68, Colin Montgomerie 69 69 71 (T14).
213 Stephen Gallacher 71 70 72, Paul Lawrie 72 68 73 (T44).
215 George Murray 74 69 72 (T55).
216 Marc Warren 72 72 72 (T62).
217 Alastair Forsyth 72 71 74, Lloyd Saltman 73 70 74 (T64).
FOR ALL THE THIRD ROUND SCORES AND SCORECARDS
CLICK HERE
Frenchman Raphaël Jacquelin will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Sicilian Open after overhauling long-time leader Anthony Wall in the closing stages of day three.
Jacquelin and Wall had threatened to turn the event into a two-horse race when they pulled clear of the chasing pack at the Donnafugata Golf Resort and Spa.
However, both men dropped shots down the stretch to leave the tournament wide open ahead of Sunday’s play, which will begin with 13 players within four shots of the lead.
Veteran Welshman Phillip Price and England’s Jamie Elson are tied for third on six under. Price fired seven birdies and three bogeys in an eventful 67, while Elson birdied the 16th and 17th holes to vault up the leaderboard.
Jacquelin’s bogey at 16 was the only blemish in an otherwise faultless round of 69 for the Frenchman, who claimed his last European Tour victory at the 2007 BMW Asian Open.
He picked up shots at the first and fourth holes en route to a front nine of 33, which overnight leader Wall would have matched were it not for a bogey at the short eighth.
Jacquelin moved level with his rival with another birdie at the 12th and Wall then dropped another shot at 15 before both men bogeyed the following hole.
“I was just trying to concentrate only on my game and I am really pleased with the way that I am hitting the ball at the moment,” said Jacquelin.
“I’m hitting my new driver really well and staying patient on the greens which you have to do here. I just have to try and keep going and stay patient tomorrow and make some good opportunities for birdies. That’s the aim anyway."
The 36-year-old insists he does not feel burdened by extra pressure as he looks to end his winning drought.
“I don’t think about it,” he added. "If I win, I win, if not then it doesn’t really matter. Obviously I want to win and came here to win but we are all here to win and there are a lot of guys playing each week and there can only be one winner.
“If I win it would be cool but if not I will still be really happy to have a good result and to enjoy the way that I am playing because I am having a lot of fun out there.”
Wall rued his failure to capitalise on an encouraging start.
“I played well actually but then kind of hit a brick wall around the turn,” he said. "I just felt that I should have probably been two or three shots better off at that point and I just lost a bit of momentum.
“I felt that I should have been six ahead of the field and then was seeing that other guys were getting closer to me.
“I should have dealt with it better because I have a lot of experience but I didn’t do too well with that mentally. I lost a bit of concentration because I got a bit down on myself.”
Price was pleased with his efforts after battling to shoot 71 and 69 in the opening two rounds.
“I struggled on the first day, I hit the ball really poorly and I was kind of thinking ‘where’s my coach’ but I managed to make a good job of it,” he explained.
“Yesterday was better and (it was) probably even better again today so it’s improved every day.
“I think the course probably suits me. It’s a bit of a windy, fiddly course and my experience gives me some help.”
When asked about a possible victory push on Sunday, Price replied: “If I play like I did today, I’ve got a chance.”
GOOD ROUND BY PETER WHITEFORD
Scotland’s Peter Whiteford, pictured, and England’s Simon Dyson fired rounds of 66 and 67 respectively to move into the group of nine players at five under 208 in joint fifth place.
Whiteford, who had five bogeys and a double bogey in the first round followed by two bogeys in Round 2, had not bogeys at all today as he birdied the fourth, ninth, 11th, 12th and 16th in two halves of 33.
Richard Green, who started the day alongside Jacquelin on seven under, was also on that score after a disappointing start that saw him double bogey the first and bogey the second.
Ireland’s Peter Lawrie matched Whiteford’s bogey-free 66 and was a shot further back at four under 209, alongside the likes of Scots Colin Montgomerie and Scott Jamieson and England's Kenneth Ferrie in joint 14th place.
Montgomerie, with halves of 35 and 36, was once again hampered by the flu during his round and said: “Considering I spent 21 hours in bed before going out there today, I played okay! I have to say that I feel rotten and am going back to bed right now. It certainly feels like the flu – I am just achy all over.Scotland’s Peter Whiteford, pictured, and England’s Simon Dyson fired rounds of 66 and 67 respectively to move into the group of nine players at five under 208 in joint fifth place.
Whiteford, who had five bogeys and a double bogey in the first round followed by two bogeys in Round 2, had not bogeys at all today as he birdied the fourth, ninth, 11th, 12th and 16th in two halves of 33.
Richard Green, who started the day alongside Jacquelin on seven under, was also on that score after a disappointing start that saw him double bogey the first and bogey the second.
Ireland’s Peter Lawrie matched Whiteford’s bogey-free 66 and was a shot further back at four under 209, alongside the likes of Scots Colin Montgomerie and Scott Jamieson and England's Kenneth Ferrie in joint 14th place.
“It is disappointing in the sense that this flu has caused me to miss an opportunity today – I felt that I had a chance to make a move and get into contention for the final round. I played okay but you can’t do much when you feel as weak as I do now.”
Monty, who had earlier bogeyed the third but birdied the seventh, looked set for a sub-par round after birdieing the 17th but he wilted at the last which cost him a bogey.
Stephen Gallacher (72) and Paul Lawrie (73) are jointly on level par 213, sharing 44th place. Gallacher had a double bogey 5 at the short eighth and dropped other shots at the 10th and 11th. He got only three of them back with birdies at the fifth, seventh and 16th in halves of 35-37.
Lawrie had 34 putts, although he says on his blog that he did not putt poorly, just couldn't get the ball close enough to the pin with his approach shots. He had a solitary birdie at the 11th but dropped sots at the third, 14th and 16th in halves of 36-37.
LEADERBOARD
Par 213 (3x71)
204 Raphael Jacquelin (France) 66 69 69.
205 Anthony Wall (England) 66 67 72.
207 Philip Price (Wales) 71 69 67, Jamie Elson (England) 69 69 69.
208 Peter Whiteford (Scotland) 74 68 66, Simon Dyson (England) 71 70 67, Jose Manuel Lara (Spain) 65 75 68, Robert Dinwiddie (England) 70 69 69, Soren Hansen (Denmark) 69 70 69, Chris Wood (England) 67 71 70, Joel Sjoholm (Sweden) 70 68 70, Oscar Floren (Sweden) 69 68 71, Richard Green (Australia) 68 67 73.
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
209 Scott Jamieson 71 70 68, Colin Montgomerie 69 69 71 (T14).
213 Stephen Gallacher 71 70 72, Paul Lawrie 72 68 73 (T44).
215 George Murray 74 69 72 (T55).
216 Marc Warren 72 72 72 (T62).
217 Alastair Forsyth 72 71 74, Lloyd Saltman 73 70 74 (T64).
FOR ALL THE THIRD ROUND SCORES AND SCORECARDS
CLICK HERE
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, March 19, 2011
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home