EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR REPORT AND SCORES

SPANISH PAIR IN POSITION FOR 

DRAMATIC KENYAN OPEN FINALE
 

FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Two Spaniards will be hoping to join their hero 

Seve Ballesteros on the prestigious list of winners 

at the Barclays Kenya Open, after Alvaro Velasco 

battled to maintain his lead on day three and was 

joined at the top by compatriot Pedro Oriol and 

South Africa’s Jake Roos.

If either Velasco or Oriol were to claim victory 

tomorrow, they would make it two Spanish wins 

in as many years after Jordi Garcia Pinto’s triumph 

at Karen Country Club last year, while European 

golf legend Ballesteros and fellow former Ryder 

Cup star Jose Maria Cañizares also won this 

tournament before it joined the Challenge Tour 

schedule.

But the three leaders will be looking nervously 

over their shoulders at an extremely bunched 

leaderboard in Nairobi, which includes local 

favourites Greg Snow and Dismas Indiza, one shot 

and two shots off the pace, respectively. 

The two home hopes have been paired together 

for the final round as they aim to make it a first 

Kenyan winner in the event’s history, which is 

sure to make for an electric atmosphere.

Velasco has led the field since day one and, while 

he struggled to build on his impressive opening 

two rounds, he was delighted with the battle he 

showed as he fought back from two over par to 

card a level par 72 and remain on eight under.

“It was a tough day today,” said the 32 year old, a

former Challenge Tour Number One with two 

wins under his belt. “I didn’t play very well but I 

put up a good fight out there and I feel like I have 

done a good job. 

“I found it tough to make birdies and I had a 

couple of bad shots but I showed good fight and at 

the end I got the reward with a birdie at the last. 

“I'm not thinking ahead of myself for the final day. 

I try to stay in the present and in the now and not 

think about what would be. 

"If things start to happen then I will begin to 

think about winning  but not right now.”

Oriol, meanwhile, joined his fellow countryman at 

the top courtesy of a two under par 70, which 

included five birdies and three bogeys, and he is 

delighted to be in contention heading into the final 

round.

“It was the hardest day today,” said the 27 year 

old. 

“The wind was blowing hard and the course is 

getting firmer and firmer so I'm very happy with 

my round.

“Last year the crowds were amazing and this year 

there are Kenyan players up there so if you’re 

playing good, it’s great fun to have people 

watching.

“I know Seve won this tournament, and Jordi last 

year, so it would be great to win. To win a 

tournament Seve has won, that would be huge for 

me.”

Roos, an experienced South African who was in 

contention on The European Tour just last week at 

the Tshwane Open, is playing on an invite this 

week and he was delighted to have joined the 

leaders on moving day as he vies for a maiden 

Challenge Tour victory.

“It was very breezy again today so it was tricky 

but I played nicely,” said the 33 year old from 

Pretoria, who signed for a one under 71. “I'm a 

little disappointed with my finish but it’s still a 

round under par so I'm pleased.

“I was trying to kick on after moving to nine under 

but I missed a few putts and the greens are so 

firm, it’s a struggle to make them drop. But it’s the 

same for everyone so I have to stay patient and

keep making good strokes and see what happens.”

The crowds are sure to be out in force for the final 

day as Snow leads the home hopes, just one shot 

off the pace alongside Oliver Bekker and Danie 

van Tonder of South Africa, Englishman Sam ]

Hutsby, France’s Adrian Bernadet and Dane Lasse 

Jensen.

Indiza also commanded huge crowds on day three 

and they are sure to return as he sits two shots 

back on six under par.

For extended quotes, tee times, leaderboard and other news, visit http://po.st/CTHP.

 

  THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
  Par 216 (3x72)

208 A Velasco (Esp) 66 70 72, J Roos (RSA) 69 68 71, P Oriol (Esp) 69 69 70

209 S Hutsby  (Eng) 73 66 70, A Bernadet  (Fra) 70 69 70, L Jensen (Den) 67 71 71, D Van Tonder  (RSA) 70 69 70, G Snow  (Ken) 70 68 71, O Bekker (RSA) 71 70 68

210 J Huldahl (Den) 70 71 69, D Indiza  (Ken) 73 69 68, P Widegren  (Swe) 69 69 72

211 A Johnston (Eng) 70 71 70

212 M Ford (Eng) 70 70 72, B Ritthammer (Ger) 74 69 69, N Lemke (Swe) 72 71 69, P Price (Wal) 70 71 71, A McArthur  (Sco) 71 68 73, T Linard (Fra) 71 70 71, A Tadini (Ita) 76 66 70, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 71 67 74, S Little (Eng) 75 70 67

213 S Brown (Eng) 70 72 71, D Kemmer (USA) 69 73 71, E Dubois (Fra) 69 73 71, L Gagli  (Ita) 73 70 70, M Lafeber (Ned) 72 72 69, C Aguilar  (Esp) 71 69 73, J Lando Casanova  (Fra) 70 73 70

214 C Bouniol (Fra) 70 72 72, R Coles (Eng) 72 71 71, C Hanson (Eng) 73 72 69, M Wiegele  (Aut) 74 71 69, B An (SKor) 68 72 74

215 O Stark (Swe) 69 73 73, O Wilson (Eng) 69 68 78, J Elson  (Eng) 73 69 73, E Espana (Fra) 73 70 72, M Lampert (Ger) 72 68 75, G Woolgar (Eng) 72 68 75, J Gonnet  (Fra) 73 71 71

216 D Coupland (Eng) 72 72 72, A Marshall (Eng) 73 71 72, H Porteous (RSA) 67 73 76, B Åkesson (Swe) 75 68 73

217 J Guerrier  (Fra) 69 75 73, P Relecom  (Bel) 69 72 76, W Besseling  (Ned) 69 75 73, J Winther (Den) 73 72 72, J Legarrea (Esp) 72 73 72, J Garcia Del Moral (Esp) 70 74 73, B Evans  (Eng) 73 71 73, S Tiley (Eng) 71 73 73

218 T Charamba (Zim) 75 67 76, M Rominger  (Sui) 75 70 73, R Kind (Ned) 72 70 76, Z Scotland  (Eng) 71 72 75, F Bergamaschi (Ita) 74 71 73

219 S Walker (Eng) 71 73 75, D Ulrich (Sui) 69 76 74, G Lockerbie  (Eng) 75 70 74, A Björk (Swe) 74 70 75

220 A Bruschi  (Ita) 72 73 75, J Kennegard  (Swe) 71 74 75, O Farr (Wal) 70 74 76, L Kennedy  (Eng) 72 70 78

221 J Lagergren (Swe) 73 72 76, K Benz (Sui) 73 71 77

 

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS