PAUL LAWRIE'S 66 GIVES HIM AN OUTSIDE CHANCE OF QUALIFYING FOR RACE TO DUBAI GRAND FINAL
REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Frenchman Victor Dubuisson upstaged some of the world’s leading players to establish a five-stroke advantage over Ian Poulter going into the final round of the Turkish Airlines Open by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Paul Lawrie, pictured, shot a 66 - one of the best scores of the day - but the Aberdonian reckons he will have to shoot even lower than that in Sunday's final round to make it to the Final Stage of the Race to Dubai.
Dubuisson, who was one of four players in a share of the lead at the start of play, fired nine birdies in a flawless third round of 63 to move to 21 under par and pull clear of the field at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal, Antalya in southern Turkey.
Playing alongside Ryder Cup star Poulter and with World Number One Tiger Woods and Race to Dubai leader Henrik Stenson in the group ahead, the 23 year old showed no signs of being overawed by the big occasion, starting his round with four straight birdies.
He picked up a further shot on the eighth hole before another fruitful run from the 13th yielded three more birdies in succession.
The former World Amateur Number One, who has three top five finishes already this season, then rounded off a fine day with a birdie on the last to put himself in pole position for a maiden European Tour title.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow but there are so many great guys right now in the field, that I’m just going to try not to think about it, and to play my game,” he said. “I played with Ian Poulter in Korea last year, and he's a very, very good player.
“I try to not think about it because if I think about it, I will put too much pressure on myself. I know tomorrow Tiger and Henrik will shoot very low scores, so I have to keep the same strategy and be aggressive. I know I have a five‑shot lead, but with all these great players, tomorrow will be a very tough day.”
Dubuisson can indeed expect a final round onslaught from the in-form Poulter, the runner-up in last week’s WGC-HSBC Champions, with the Englishman determined to chase down Stenson in The Race to Duabi going into next week’s season finale, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
Poulter also birdied the 18th hole for a round of 68 and will start the final round also knowing that Stenson is one shot behind him on 15 under par, but his main focus will be on catching Dubuisson as he tries to claim his first victory in 12 months.
“I was a little disappointed I couldn't hold on to Victor's tail a bit more around the back nine,” said Poulter. “He got off to a lovely start and he's played some great golf today. It was a nice birdie at the last to make sure I'm in the final group with him tomorrow.
"He's got a five‑shot lead and if he makes half the birdies he had today, then he's going to be tough to beat obviously, so I'm figuring I'm going to have to go and shoot pretty low.”
Despite finishing with a bogey on the last for a round of 69, Stenson is also confident about his chances of catching the runaway leader heading into the final round.
“I'm in a good position,” he said. “I got off to a good start and I'm up there, so I’m happy with that. I'm feeling pretty good about my game. It's the best it's felt over these three weeks of The Final Series, so I’m positive still for tomorrow.”
Stenson is in a four-way share of third place alongside Spaniard Alejandro Cañizares (66), Frenchman Raphaël Jacquelin, who surged through the field with a course record 62, and 14-time Major Champion Woods, who sank a 20 foot birdie putt on the last after stuttering on the back nine in his round of 68.
“Yesterday I had it dialed in, and it's always hard to follow up a great round with another low one, but somehow I posted four under par today,” said Woods.
”I’m within six now with that putt on the last there. We knew going into the tournament it was going to be 20‑plus‑under par, so I need to go and get there.”
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
195 V Dubuisson (Fra) 67 65 63
200 I Poulter (Eng) 66 66 68
201 R Jacquelin (Fra) 67 72 62; H Stenson (Swe) 64 68 69; T Woods (USA) 70 63 68; A Cañizares (Esp) 67 68 66
202 J Walters (RSA) 66 66 70
203 J Rose (Eng) 70 66 67; J Donaldson (Wal) 68 67 68
204 J Quesne (Fra) 67 69 68; D Lynn (Eng) 68 68 68; C Wood (Eng) 69 70 65; T Aiken (RSA) 71 67 66
205 R Derksen (Ned) 67 69 69; M Warren (Sco) 69 70 66; G Mulroy (RSA) 70 69 66; B Grace (RSA) 69 69 67; M Kaymer (Ger) 69 68 68; G Coetzee (RSA) 66 71 68; R Sterne (RSA) 69 65 71
206 C Lee (Sco) 69 68 69; R Fisher (Eng) 68 68 70; P Casey (Eng) 66 73 67; C Schwartzel (RSA) 68 70 68; B Wiesberger (Aut) 68 72 66
207 P Waring (Eng) 68 68 71; F Aguilar (Chi) 69 68 70; L Wen-Chong (Chn) 71 66 70; M Kieffer (Ger) 66 73 68; T Jaidee (Tha) 69 68 70; T Björn (Den) 64 72 71; S Gallacher (Sco) 68 71 68; G Bourdy (Fra) 69 72 66; J Luiten (Ned) 72 70 65
208 E Pepperell (Eng) 69 74 65; D Fichardt (RSA) 64 73 71; F Molinari (Ita) 69 68 71; J Blixt (Swe) 68 74 66
209 G Havret (Fra) 72 69 68; L Westwood (Eng) 70 66 73; D Howell (Eng) 70 72 67; T Fleetwood (Eng) 69 71 69; R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 67 73 69; P Harrington (Irl) 68 70 71; T Olesen (Den) 66 72 71; M Fraser (Aus) 67 71 71
210 P Lawrie (Sco) 74 70 66; M Manassero (Ita) 70 70 70; P Uihlein (USA) 67 72 71; P Larrazábal (Esp) 68 70 72; R Ramsay (Sco) 70 69 71
211 K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 66 73 72
212 R Gonzalez (Arg) 66 75 71; M Siem (Ger) 69 71 72; S Lowry (Irl) 72 75 65; J Hansen (Den) 72 71 69
213 D Horsey (Eng) 69 71 73; E De La Riva (Esp) 70 73 70; N Colsaerts (Bel) 73 68 72
214 R Santos (Por) 68 75 71; D Drysdale (Sco) 70 73 71
215 S Webster (Eng) 65 75 75; L Oosthuizen (RSA) 72 74 69; D McGrane (Irl) 70 73 72
216 M Madsen (Den) 73 71 72
217 J Parry (Eng) 78 67 72; M Jiménez (Esp) 73 71 73
218 C Montgomerie (Sco) 72 72 74; S Khan (Eng) 73 73 72
220 D Willett (Eng) 75 71 74
221 B Rumford (Aus) 72 71 78; G Storm (Eng) 70 79 72; S Jamieson (Sco) 74 69 78
222 S Kjeldsen (Den) 69 77 76
224 E Kemaloglu (am) (Tur) 76 74 74
230 H Sayin (Tur) 75 79 76
236 A Altuntas (am) (Tur) 80 77 79
** A Noren (Swe) 73 70 Retired
Frenchman Victor Dubuisson upstaged some of the world’s leading players to establish a five-stroke advantage over Ian Poulter going into the final round of the Turkish Airlines Open by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Paul Lawrie, pictured, shot a 66 - one of the best scores of the day - but the Aberdonian reckons he will have to shoot even lower than that in Sunday's final round to make it to the Final Stage of the Race to Dubai.
Dubuisson, who was one of four players in a share of the lead at the start of play, fired nine birdies in a flawless third round of 63 to move to 21 under par and pull clear of the field at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal, Antalya in southern Turkey.
Playing alongside Ryder Cup star Poulter and with World Number One Tiger Woods and Race to Dubai leader Henrik Stenson in the group ahead, the 23 year old showed no signs of being overawed by the big occasion, starting his round with four straight birdies.
He picked up a further shot on the eighth hole before another fruitful run from the 13th yielded three more birdies in succession.
The former World Amateur Number One, who has three top five finishes already this season, then rounded off a fine day with a birdie on the last to put himself in pole position for a maiden European Tour title.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow but there are so many great guys right now in the field, that I’m just going to try not to think about it, and to play my game,” he said. “I played with Ian Poulter in Korea last year, and he's a very, very good player.
“I try to not think about it because if I think about it, I will put too much pressure on myself. I know tomorrow Tiger and Henrik will shoot very low scores, so I have to keep the same strategy and be aggressive. I know I have a five‑shot lead, but with all these great players, tomorrow will be a very tough day.”
Dubuisson can indeed expect a final round onslaught from the in-form Poulter, the runner-up in last week’s WGC-HSBC Champions, with the Englishman determined to chase down Stenson in The Race to Duabi going into next week’s season finale, the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.
Poulter also birdied the 18th hole for a round of 68 and will start the final round also knowing that Stenson is one shot behind him on 15 under par, but his main focus will be on catching Dubuisson as he tries to claim his first victory in 12 months.
“I was a little disappointed I couldn't hold on to Victor's tail a bit more around the back nine,” said Poulter. “He got off to a lovely start and he's played some great golf today. It was a nice birdie at the last to make sure I'm in the final group with him tomorrow.
"He's got a five‑shot lead and if he makes half the birdies he had today, then he's going to be tough to beat obviously, so I'm figuring I'm going to have to go and shoot pretty low.”
Despite finishing with a bogey on the last for a round of 69, Stenson is also confident about his chances of catching the runaway leader heading into the final round.
“I'm in a good position,” he said. “I got off to a good start and I'm up there, so I’m happy with that. I'm feeling pretty good about my game. It's the best it's felt over these three weeks of The Final Series, so I’m positive still for tomorrow.”
Stenson is in a four-way share of third place alongside Spaniard Alejandro Cañizares (66), Frenchman Raphaël Jacquelin, who surged through the field with a course record 62, and 14-time Major Champion Woods, who sank a 20 foot birdie putt on the last after stuttering on the back nine in his round of 68.
“Yesterday I had it dialed in, and it's always hard to follow up a great round with another low one, but somehow I posted four under par today,” said Woods.
”I’m within six now with that putt on the last there. We knew going into the tournament it was going to be 20‑plus‑under par, so I need to go and get there.”
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
195 V Dubuisson (Fra) 67 65 63
200 I Poulter (Eng) 66 66 68
201 R Jacquelin (Fra) 67 72 62; H Stenson (Swe) 64 68 69; T Woods (USA) 70 63 68; A Cañizares (Esp) 67 68 66
202 J Walters (RSA) 66 66 70
203 J Rose (Eng) 70 66 67; J Donaldson (Wal) 68 67 68
204 J Quesne (Fra) 67 69 68; D Lynn (Eng) 68 68 68; C Wood (Eng) 69 70 65; T Aiken (RSA) 71 67 66
205 R Derksen (Ned) 67 69 69; M Warren (Sco) 69 70 66; G Mulroy (RSA) 70 69 66; B Grace (RSA) 69 69 67; M Kaymer (Ger) 69 68 68; G Coetzee (RSA) 66 71 68; R Sterne (RSA) 69 65 71
206 C Lee (Sco) 69 68 69; R Fisher (Eng) 68 68 70; P Casey (Eng) 66 73 67; C Schwartzel (RSA) 68 70 68; B Wiesberger (Aut) 68 72 66
207 P Waring (Eng) 68 68 71; F Aguilar (Chi) 69 68 70; L Wen-Chong (Chn) 71 66 70; M Kieffer (Ger) 66 73 68; T Jaidee (Tha) 69 68 70; T Björn (Den) 64 72 71; S Gallacher (Sco) 68 71 68; G Bourdy (Fra) 69 72 66; J Luiten (Ned) 72 70 65
208 E Pepperell (Eng) 69 74 65; D Fichardt (RSA) 64 73 71; F Molinari (Ita) 69 68 71; J Blixt (Swe) 68 74 66
209 G Havret (Fra) 72 69 68; L Westwood (Eng) 70 66 73; D Howell (Eng) 70 72 67; T Fleetwood (Eng) 69 71 69; R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 67 73 69; P Harrington (Irl) 68 70 71; T Olesen (Den) 66 72 71; M Fraser (Aus) 67 71 71
210 P Lawrie (Sco) 74 70 66; M Manassero (Ita) 70 70 70; P Uihlein (USA) 67 72 71; P Larrazábal (Esp) 68 70 72; R Ramsay (Sco) 70 69 71
211 K Aphibarnrat (Tha) 66 73 72
212 R Gonzalez (Arg) 66 75 71; M Siem (Ger) 69 71 72; S Lowry (Irl) 72 75 65; J Hansen (Den) 72 71 69
213 D Horsey (Eng) 69 71 73; E De La Riva (Esp) 70 73 70; N Colsaerts (Bel) 73 68 72
214 R Santos (Por) 68 75 71; D Drysdale (Sco) 70 73 71
215 S Webster (Eng) 65 75 75; L Oosthuizen (RSA) 72 74 69; D McGrane (Irl) 70 73 72
216 M Madsen (Den) 73 71 72
217 J Parry (Eng) 78 67 72; M Jiménez (Esp) 73 71 73
218 C Montgomerie (Sco) 72 72 74; S Khan (Eng) 73 73 72
220 D Willett (Eng) 75 71 74
221 B Rumford (Aus) 72 71 78; G Storm (Eng) 70 79 72; S Jamieson (Sco) 74 69 78
222 S Kjeldsen (Den) 69 77 76
224 E Kemaloglu (am) (Tur) 76 74 74
230 H Sayin (Tur) 75 79 76
236 A Altuntas (am) (Tur) 80 77 79
** A Noren (Swe) 73 70 Retired
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, November 09, 2013
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