LEE AND McARTHUR IN CONTENTION IN NORWEGIAN CHALLENGE
REPORT FROM SARAH GWYNN
European Challenge Tour Press OfficerScots Craig Lee and Andrew McArthur are hot on the heels of leader James Hepworth heading into the final round of the Norwegian Challenge at Hauger Golf Club near Oslo.
The pair signed for rounds of two under par 70 and four under par 68 respectively to reach eight under, two shots behind Englishman Hepworth and alongside four other players.
Lee missed a short putt for birdie at the last which would have taken him to nine under, but overall he was delighted to remain in contention to win his maiden Challenge Tour title.
“I played nicely on the front nine and putted very well, but it was a round of two nines and I seemed to change into a different golfer on the back nine,” said the 34 year old from Stirling.
“I didn’t hit great drives off the tenth and 11th and then hit a shocking drive on the 13th and ended up with a double bogey. I had quite good momentum going until then, so it was like hitting a brick wall, and I limped home from there. Then I missed a short one for birdie at the last.
“If someone said to me on Wednesday I’d be joint leader going into Sunday I’d have taken it, but when you have the opportunity to be in front and it slip away it’s always disappointing.
“There are plenty of positives to take into tomorrow and if the putter works as well as it did today then I should have a chance.”
McArthur added: “I’m not doing anything special or playing amazingly well, just being patient and keeping it on the fairways and waiting for the chances to come. The greens are quite funky here and they are hard to read as they are so soft from all the rain. So it’s a case of just trying to get it on the green and seeing what happens.”
Fellow Scots Marc Warren and Chris Doak both returned scores of 73 to sit at four under, six shots off the lead.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
206 J Hepworth (Eng) 69 69 68
208 A McArthur (Sco) 70 70 68, C Lee (Sco) 66 72 70, B Grace (RSA) 71 71 66, J Heath (Eng) 71 68 69, F Valera (Esp) 68 70 70, S Thornton (Irl) 71 69 68
209 A Pavan (Ita) 70 71 68, S Piaget (Mon) 67 71 71
210 V Almstrom (Swe) 67 70 73, F Praegant (Aut) 70 71 69, B Åkesson (Swe) 74 66 70, K Eriksson (Swe) 70 69 71
211 R Steiner (Aut) 64 74 73, A Butterfield (Eng) 72 67 72, M Madsen (Den) 71 70 70, E Johansen (Nor) 67 72 72, M Thorp (Nor) 72 70 69, A Otaegui (Esp) 76 66 69, L Kennedy (Eng) 71 67 73, K Ventura (am) (Nor) 70 70 71
212 L Jensen (Den) 68 72 72, S Little (Eng) 67 74 71, C Doak (Sco) 71 68 73, V Riu (Fra) 68 71 73, D Vancsik (Arg) 70 67 75, S Bebb (Wal) 69 73 70, G Houston (Wal) 69 72 71, H Norlander (Swe) 76 64 72, H Santos (Por) 70 71 71, M Warren (Sco) 72 67 73, P Nilbrink (Nor) 71 68 73, A Tadini (Ita) 72 70 70
213 C Monasterio (Arg) 68 71 74, B Barham (Eng) 71 72 70, M Kieffer (Ger) 71 70 72, G Jackson (Eng) 68 73 72, C Brazillier (Fra) 67 73 73, G Adell (Swe) 71 70 72, J Moul (Eng) 71 68 74, A Ahokas (Fin) 69 72 72, G Dear (Sco) 70 72 71, H Joannes (Bel) 70 71 72, F Ohlsson (Swe) 70 73 70, P Edberg (Swe) 66 69 78
214 P Kaensche (Nor) 72 69 73, A Bossert (Sui) 71 71 72, C Aronsen (Nor) 69 72 73, J Lagergren (Swe) 72 71 71, S Hutsby (Eng) 69 70 75, P Dwyer (Eng) 73 69 72, C Ford (Eng) 69 71 74, B Evans (Eng) 72 71 71, L Canter (Eng) 71 72 71
215 J Campillo (Esp) 73 70 72, M Southgate (Eng) 72 66 77, B Hebert (Fra) 69 72 74
216 G Lockerbie (Eng) 68 74 74, J Guerrier (Fra) 75 68 73, P Relecom (Bel) 75 67 74, E Bertheussen (Nor) 73 70 73, K Borsheim (Nor) 68 74 74
217 N Kearney (Irl) 71 72 74, A Snobeck (Fra) 69 73 75, N Floren (Swe) 71 71 75, J Quesne (Fra) 73 70 74, F Henge (Swe) 68 75 74
218 C Lloyd (Eng) 70 72 76
219 J Clément (Sui) 68 73 78
221 B Chapellan (Fra) 76 67 78
223 E Kofstad (Nor) 68 75 80
THOSE WHO MISSED THE CUT (143 or better) INCLUDED
144 S Drummond (Sco) 74 70 0, T Fleetwood (Eng) 71 73 0, C Carranza (Arg) 73 71 0, J Billot (Fra) 73 71 0, P Del Grosso (Arg) 71 73 0, P Archer (Eng) 70 74 0, N Meitinger (Ger) 75 69 0, C Moriarty (Irl) 72 72 0,
145 E Saltman (Sco) 72 73 0, O Engevik (Nor) 69 76 0, S Lund (Nor) 72 73 0, M Erlandsson (Swe) 71 74 0, C Russo (Fra) 69 76 0, E Dubois (Fra) 72 73 0, N McCarthy (Eng) 72 73 0, J Estevez (Arg) 74 71 0, A Perrino (Ita) 68 77 0, A Forsyth (Sco) 71 74 0, J Lucquin (Fra) 74 71 0, M Cryer (Eng) 71 74 0, P Gustafsson (Swe) 73 72 0, O Ramsnes (am) (Nor) 73 72 0, A Engell (am) (Nor) 73 72 0,
146 J Garcia (Esp) 72 74 0, R Santos (Por) 71 75 0, D Denison (Eng) 69 77 0, J Legarrea (Esp) 75 71 0, A Bruschi (Ita) 70 76 0, F Colombo (Ita) 71 75 0, M Delpodio (Ita) 74 72 0, R Wingardh (Swe) 74 72 0, S Tiley (Eng) 74 72 0, A Bernadet (Fra) 75 71 0, D Den Roover (Nor) 74 72 0, V Maroy (am) (Nor) 74 72 0,
147 B Ritthammer (Ger) 73 74 0, J Doherty (Sco) 71 76 0, A Hansen (Den) 73 74 0, C Suneson (Esp) 71 76 0, T Shadbolt (Eng) 70 77 0, J Robinson (Eng) 69 78 0, C Macaulay (Sco) 71 76 0, A Signor (Ita) 75 72 0, A Maestroni (Ita) 73 74 0,
European Challenge Tour Press OfficerScots Craig Lee and Andrew McArthur are hot on the heels of leader James Hepworth heading into the final round of the Norwegian Challenge at Hauger Golf Club near Oslo.
The pair signed for rounds of two under par 70 and four under par 68 respectively to reach eight under, two shots behind Englishman Hepworth and alongside four other players.
Lee missed a short putt for birdie at the last which would have taken him to nine under, but overall he was delighted to remain in contention to win his maiden Challenge Tour title.
“I played nicely on the front nine and putted very well, but it was a round of two nines and I seemed to change into a different golfer on the back nine,” said the 34 year old from Stirling.
“I didn’t hit great drives off the tenth and 11th and then hit a shocking drive on the 13th and ended up with a double bogey. I had quite good momentum going until then, so it was like hitting a brick wall, and I limped home from there. Then I missed a short one for birdie at the last.
“If someone said to me on Wednesday I’d be joint leader going into Sunday I’d have taken it, but when you have the opportunity to be in front and it slip away it’s always disappointing.
“There are plenty of positives to take into tomorrow and if the putter works as well as it did today then I should have a chance.”
McArthur added: “I’m not doing anything special or playing amazingly well, just being patient and keeping it on the fairways and waiting for the chances to come. The greens are quite funky here and they are hard to read as they are so soft from all the rain. So it’s a case of just trying to get it on the green and seeing what happens.”
Fellow Scots Marc Warren and Chris Doak both returned scores of 73 to sit at four under, six shots off the lead.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
206 J Hepworth (Eng) 69 69 68
208 A McArthur (Sco) 70 70 68, C Lee (Sco) 66 72 70, B Grace (RSA) 71 71 66, J Heath (Eng) 71 68 69, F Valera (Esp) 68 70 70, S Thornton (Irl) 71 69 68
209 A Pavan (Ita) 70 71 68, S Piaget (Mon) 67 71 71
210 V Almstrom (Swe) 67 70 73, F Praegant (Aut) 70 71 69, B Åkesson (Swe) 74 66 70, K Eriksson (Swe) 70 69 71
211 R Steiner (Aut) 64 74 73, A Butterfield (Eng) 72 67 72, M Madsen (Den) 71 70 70, E Johansen (Nor) 67 72 72, M Thorp (Nor) 72 70 69, A Otaegui (Esp) 76 66 69, L Kennedy (Eng) 71 67 73, K Ventura (am) (Nor) 70 70 71
212 L Jensen (Den) 68 72 72, S Little (Eng) 67 74 71, C Doak (Sco) 71 68 73, V Riu (Fra) 68 71 73, D Vancsik (Arg) 70 67 75, S Bebb (Wal) 69 73 70, G Houston (Wal) 69 72 71, H Norlander (Swe) 76 64 72, H Santos (Por) 70 71 71, M Warren (Sco) 72 67 73, P Nilbrink (Nor) 71 68 73, A Tadini (Ita) 72 70 70
213 C Monasterio (Arg) 68 71 74, B Barham (Eng) 71 72 70, M Kieffer (Ger) 71 70 72, G Jackson (Eng) 68 73 72, C Brazillier (Fra) 67 73 73, G Adell (Swe) 71 70 72, J Moul (Eng) 71 68 74, A Ahokas (Fin) 69 72 72, G Dear (Sco) 70 72 71, H Joannes (Bel) 70 71 72, F Ohlsson (Swe) 70 73 70, P Edberg (Swe) 66 69 78
214 P Kaensche (Nor) 72 69 73, A Bossert (Sui) 71 71 72, C Aronsen (Nor) 69 72 73, J Lagergren (Swe) 72 71 71, S Hutsby (Eng) 69 70 75, P Dwyer (Eng) 73 69 72, C Ford (Eng) 69 71 74, B Evans (Eng) 72 71 71, L Canter (Eng) 71 72 71
215 J Campillo (Esp) 73 70 72, M Southgate (Eng) 72 66 77, B Hebert (Fra) 69 72 74
216 G Lockerbie (Eng) 68 74 74, J Guerrier (Fra) 75 68 73, P Relecom (Bel) 75 67 74, E Bertheussen (Nor) 73 70 73, K Borsheim (Nor) 68 74 74
217 N Kearney (Irl) 71 72 74, A Snobeck (Fra) 69 73 75, N Floren (Swe) 71 71 75, J Quesne (Fra) 73 70 74, F Henge (Swe) 68 75 74
218 C Lloyd (Eng) 70 72 76
219 J Clément (Sui) 68 73 78
221 B Chapellan (Fra) 76 67 78
223 E Kofstad (Nor) 68 75 80
THOSE WHO MISSED THE CUT (143 or better) INCLUDED
144 S Drummond (Sco) 74 70 0, T Fleetwood (Eng) 71 73 0, C Carranza (Arg) 73 71 0, J Billot (Fra) 73 71 0, P Del Grosso (Arg) 71 73 0, P Archer (Eng) 70 74 0, N Meitinger (Ger) 75 69 0, C Moriarty (Irl) 72 72 0,
145 E Saltman (Sco) 72 73 0, O Engevik (Nor) 69 76 0, S Lund (Nor) 72 73 0, M Erlandsson (Swe) 71 74 0, C Russo (Fra) 69 76 0, E Dubois (Fra) 72 73 0, N McCarthy (Eng) 72 73 0, J Estevez (Arg) 74 71 0, A Perrino (Ita) 68 77 0, A Forsyth (Sco) 71 74 0, J Lucquin (Fra) 74 71 0, M Cryer (Eng) 71 74 0, P Gustafsson (Swe) 73 72 0, O Ramsnes (am) (Nor) 73 72 0, A Engell (am) (Nor) 73 72 0,
146 J Garcia (Esp) 72 74 0, R Santos (Por) 71 75 0, D Denison (Eng) 69 77 0, J Legarrea (Esp) 75 71 0, A Bruschi (Ita) 70 76 0, F Colombo (Ita) 71 75 0, M Delpodio (Ita) 74 72 0, R Wingardh (Swe) 74 72 0, S Tiley (Eng) 74 72 0, A Bernadet (Fra) 75 71 0, D Den Roover (Nor) 74 72 0, V Maroy (am) (Nor) 74 72 0,
147 B Ritthammer (Ger) 73 74 0, J Doherty (Sco) 71 76 0, A Hansen (Den) 73 74 0, C Suneson (Esp) 71 76 0, T Shadbolt (Eng) 70 77 0, J Robinson (Eng) 69 78 0, C Macaulay (Sco) 71 76 0, A Signor (Ita) 75 72 0, A Maestroni (Ita) 73 74 0,
Labels: CHALLENGE TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, August 13, 2011
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