MARC WARREN LEADS SPANISH OPEN BY TWO WITH A ROUND TO GO

REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Scotland’s Marc Warren battled through the worst conditions of the day to card a four-under-par 68 and with it secure a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the 2013 Open de España.

With powerful winds gusting across the coastal Parador de El Saler, Warren’s fine display of links golf took the Glaswegian (pictured) to eight under par with 18 holes to play in the 87^th edition of the historic event, two clear of compatriot Craig Lee, and a further shot clear of the English pair of David Horsey and Paul Waring.

Warren found more of the consistent form that saw him post consecutive rounds of 70 over the opening two days in Valencia to sit just behind halfway leader, American Peter Uihlein, heading into the weekend, but the 32 year old went two shots better on Saturday, finding six birdies and dropping just two shots en route to his impressive 68.

It was Warren’s excellent short game that allowed him to pull clear of the pack, scrambling on a number of occasions to make par and with it provide himself an excellent chance to add to his previous two European Tour victories – the last of which came at the 2007 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

“I’m very pleased with today’s work,” Warren said. “In wind I like the fact that you have to have so many different shots. On this course even in calm conditions you’d have to do that because of the shape of the holes and the way the greens are set, being so firm.

“You can’t just use the standard shot. There’s always something to the shot whether it be higher or lower, fade or draw. I managed to do that well today and I hopefully it continues tomorrow.

“Concentration is going to be fundamental tomorrow. I know how to win, and that will work in my favour.”

Warren’s fellow countryman Lee, who began two shots shy of overnight leader Uihlein, made two pairs of consecutive birdies – from the fourth and from the 14^th – to briefly move into the lead before back-to-back bogeys on the 16^th and 17^th saw the 35 year old Stirling man slip back to six under for the tournament.

Lee said: "I played well early on and managed to get a couple of birdies, but the end was difficult with the wind and I threw a couple (of shots) away.

“It is always frustrating (to end poorly). There were a couple of easy up and downs and I did not quite make the most of them. But I am delighted with the position that I am in; the game is pretty good and pretty steady.”

One shot further back with Sunday’s final round to come are English pair Horsey and Waring.

Horsey shot a best of the day 66, fully taking advantage of the more benign weather seen earlier in on Saturday in Valencia as the Cheshire man made eight birdies to negate two dropped shots in his opening five holes, while Waring is also well placed after a fine three under par 69.

Halfway leader Uihlein, a former US Amateur Champion, started well with two birdies in his first three holes on Saturday before four dropped shots, including a pair from the 16^th, saw the American slip back into a tie for fifth alongside Germany’s Max Kieffer, England’s David Howell, and France’s Raphael Jacquelin – all of whom will start the final round four shots back from leader Warren.

  THIRD ROUND TOTALS

   Par 216 (3x72)

208 M Warren (Sco) 70 70 68

210 C Lee (Sco) 69 71 70

211 P Waring  (Eng) 71 71 69, D Horsey (Eng) 71 74 66

212 P Uihlein  (USA) 70 68 74, R Jacquelin (Fra) 73 66 73, D Howell (Eng) 70 71 71, M Kieffer (Ger) 75 68 69

213 F Aguilar (Chi) 68 71 74, M Carlsson  (Swe) 70 75 68, E Pepperell (Eng) 70 70 73, E Kofstad (Nor) 71 72 70, D Drysdale (Sco) 73 72 68, G Bourdy (Fra) 72 73 68

214 N Elvira  (Esp) 71 72 71, M Madsen  (Den) 68 72 74, R Karlberg  (Swe) 72 67 75, K Ferrie (Eng) 72 73 69, P Casey  (Eng) 72 70 72, E Grillo (Arg) 74 72 68, M Baldwin (Eng) 73 68 73, J Lagergren (Swe) 69 76 69

215 J Quesne  (Fra) 72 70 73, T Fleetwood  (Eng) 72 69 74, E De La Riva  (Esp) 72 73 70, M Delpodio  (Ita) 73 69 73, S Garcia  (Esp) 72 73 70, L Jensen (Den) 71 70 74, M Lampert (Ger) 76 68 71

216 J Gonnet  (Fra) 73 73 70, L Slattery (Eng) 75 71 70, M Tullo (Chi) 71 71 74, J Luiten (Ned) 74 72 70, V Dubuisson  (Fra) 74 70 72, S Hansen (Den) 74 70 72, M Korhonen (Fin) 71 73 72, R Gonzalez (Arg) 74 70 72, A Marshall (Eng) 72 74 70, G Fernandez-Castaño  (Esp) 69 73 74, P Price (Wal) 70 74 72, D Higgins (Irl) 69 75 72

 217 A Cañizares  (Esp) 71 73 73, M Nixon (Eng) 74 72 71, J Sandelin (Swe) 74 71 72, A Hansen (Den) 72 71 74, J Sjöholm (Swe) 69 76 72, P Lawrie (Irl) 71 74 72

218 A Velasco (Esp) 71 71 76, P Oriol (Esp) 71 75 72, S Lowry  (Irl) 78 66 74, J Morrison  (Eng) 72 73 73, C Cévaër (Fra) 76 70 72, T Van Der Walt (RSA) 73 72 73, R Green (Aus) 73 72 73, S Benson (Eng) 74 72 72, C Macaulay  (Sco) 73 71 74, M Manassero (Ita) 78 68 72

219 R Derksen (Ned) 69 73 77, R Finch  (Eng) 70 73 76, S Little (Eng) 73 72 74, R Davies (Wal) 73 72 74

220 G Maybin (Nir) 74 71 75, D Brooks (Eng) 69 75 76, I Garrido (Esp) 72 71 77, A Forsyth (Sco) 76 70 74, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 72 73 75

221 E Molinari  (Ita) 70 73 78, A Hartø  (Den) 73 67 81

222 G Cambis  (Fra) 77 69 76

223 C Aguilar  (Esp) 71 72 80

224 J Lara (Esp) 70 74 80

226 J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 73 71 82

229 G Stal  (Fra) 68 78 83

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS