GALLACHER EQUALS EUROPEAN TOUR RECORD WITH INWARD 28
Stephen Gallacher recovers from a bunker during his third round. Picture by courtesy of
Getty Images(c)
A GOLFING FEAST OF STEPHEN: 10
UNDER PAR FOR 10 HOLES
REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
The joint lowest back nine to par in European Tour history has put Stephen Gallacher in pole position to successfully defend his Omega Dubai Desert Classic title.
He
said: “I played okay. I felt like I could’ve hit a few more fairways
and holed a few more putts, but two shots behind going into tomorrow
isn’t bad. I’ve been in similar positions before and came out on top, so
hopefully I can do it
again.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
Getty Images(c)
A GOLFING FEAST OF STEPHEN: 10
UNDER PAR FOR 10 HOLES
REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
The joint lowest back nine to par in European Tour history has put Stephen Gallacher in pole position to successfully defend his Omega Dubai Desert Classic title.
The Bathgate Scot, nephew of Bernard Gallacher, who started the day on seven under par, was finding the going
tough in the early stages of day three, but blitzed his next ten holes
in ten under par to sign for a round of 63 and finish two shots clear of
Rory McIlroy on 16 under
par.
By
coming home in nine under par 28, he equalled the lowest score to par
set first by Spaniard José Maria Cañizares in the 1978 Swiss Open, and
later matched by Swede Joakim Haeggman in the 1997 Alfred Dunhill Cup
and England’s Simon Khan
at the 2004 Celtic Manor Wales Open.
Gallacher
will have the chance to create yet more history on the final day, when
he will bid to become the first player to successfully defend the Omega
Dubai Desert Classic title.
He
said: “I don’t know where to start. I struggled at the start to be
honest. I was a bit ropey for the first three or four holes. Then I hit
a good shot into the seventh, but missed the putt.
“I
bogeyed eight, and was feeling out of sorts but then I hit a beautiful
drive and seven iron to about three feet on the ninth, and from then on,
I just never missed a shot. It’s the best back nine I’ve had here, by
far.”
Gallacher will be joined in the final group by McIlroy, who signed for a 69 for a 14 under par aggregate total.
The
Northern Irishman opened with a bogey but bounced back immediately with
a second hole birdie followed by an eagle at the next.
He
gave a shot back at the sixth, but after rallying with a brace of
birdies on the back nine, a second career victory in the Omega Dubai
Desert Classic is well within reach for the World Number Seven.
“What
Stevie [Gallacher] did was phenomenal. I didn’t know he was ten under
for the last ten holes. That’s some golf right there, especially as
you’ve got some tough holes on the back nine. So that’s very, very
impressive.”
McIlroy’s
playing partner Brooks Koepka had looked like mounting a strong
challenge after covering his first 13 holes in four under par, but
back-to-back bogeys from the 14th stalled his momentum, and he had to settle for a round
of 70 and a 12 under par aggregate total.
Koepka
shares third place with another of The European Tour’s rising stars,
Thorbjørn Olesen, who surged through the field courtesy of a round of
65.
Tiger
Woods will require a miraculous final round if he is to prevail for a
third time after the World No. 1 signed for a round of 72 which
left him in a tie for 37th place on five under par.
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+SCROLL DOWN FOR ANOTHER VIEWPOINT ON THE THIRD DAY'S PLAY
Par 216 (3x72)
200 S Gallacher (Sco) 66 71 63
202 R McIlroy (NIr) 63 70 69
204 B Koepka (USA) 69 65 70; T Olesen (Den) 71 68 65
205 E Molinari (Ita) 65 72 68; R Rock (Eng) 67 70 68; S Webster (Eng) 71 70 64
206 R Kakko (Fin) 69 69 68
207
D Fichardt (RSA) 69 72 66; D Van Der Walt (RSA) 72 70 65; E Grillo
(Arg) 71 67 69; J Donaldson (Wal) 69 68 70; D McGrane (Irl) 66 70 71
208 T Jaidee (Tha) 68 69 71; B
Wiesberger (Aut) 70 70 68; P Waring (Eng) 70 70 68; R Wattel (Fra) 68
73 67; R Sterne (RSA) 66 73 69
209 J Luiten (Ned) 70 69 70; C
Montgomerie (Sco) 70 70 69; P Casey (Eng) 70 72 67; A Wall (Eng) 74 66
69; F Molinari (Ita) 69 69 71; M Crespi (Ita) 69 71 69; S Hansen (Den)
67 71 71; M Baldwin (Eng) 66 74 69; D Willett (Eng) 71 65 73;
R Jacquelin (Fra) 69 71 69
210 C Doak (Sco) 71 68 71; T Björn
(Den) 72 70 68; J Van Zyl (RSA) 71 68 71; S Kjeldsen (Den) 68 71 71; H
Otto (RSA) 68 73 69; M Madsen (Den) 71 67 72; B Rumford (Aus) 69 70 71;
J Campillo (Esp) 68 72 70
211
S Kim (SKor) 70 69 72; P Lawrie (Sco) 68 71 72; T Woods (USA) 68 73 70; R
Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 71 69 71; M Ilonen (Fin) 69 72 70; S Hend (Aus) 69
72 70; L Slattery (Eng) 70 71 70; R Karlsson (Swe) 73 67 71; P
Larrazábal (Esp) 74 68 69;
S Dyson (Eng) 69 69 73
212
M Siem (Ger) 72 67 73; E De La Riva (Esp) 70 70 72; M Carlsson (Swe)
69 69 74; F Zanotti (Par) 72 70 70; S Kapur (Ind) 72 70 70; S Jamieson
(Sco) 73 69 70; S Benson (Eng) 72 70 70; M Kieffer (Ger) 71 70 71; S
Noh (SKor) 69 72 71;
C Wood (Eng) 73 69 70; G Bourdy (Fra) 71 68 73; H Stenson (Swe) 70 67
75; J Walters (RSA) 69 68 75
213 J Quesne (Fra) 66 70 77; K Broberg (Swe) 71 69 73
214 G Havret (Fra) 70 72 72; F Couples (USA) 70 71 73
215
C Del Moral (Esp) 70 72 73; G Stal (Fra) 74 68 73; A Quiros (Esp) 69
72 74; M Hoey (NIr) 70 72 73; A Cañizares (Esp) 74 67 74
217 A Levy (Fra) 69 72 76; J Lima (Por) 71 71 75
218 T Lewis (Eng) 71 69 78
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONSLabels: EUROPEAN TOUR
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