Frenchman Riu leads by one in Challenge Tour 

event in Italy

 FROM THE CHALLENGE TOUR WEBSITE

Victor Riu will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Terre dei Consoli Open in Italy as he hunts a second European Challenge Tour title and bids to redeem a disappointing season.
The Frenchman started in blistering form at Terre dei Consoli Golf Club, birdieing his first three holes to pull away from the pack on 11 under par 215 and, after briefly reaching 12 under, a bogey on 16 left him on that mark after signing for a 69, one ahead of Johan Edfors.
Riu won the 2013 Swiss Challenge and will look to draw on those memories tomorrow in the knowledge that he needs a strong finish to earn a spot in the final four events of the season, particularly the NBO Golf Classic Grand Final which will be contested by the top 45 in the Road to Oman.
“It’s a good thing because I know I can win,” said the 31 year old. “Three years ago I did it and now I know I have the maturity to win a tournament so I think it’s definitely possible again tomorrow.
“It’s a nice memory to have because I was behind on the back nine and had a very strong finish to take victory – I remember I had four birdies in my last five to win, so that was a good week.
“Today was a good day. Three under par is a good score for this kind of course, and it was pretty tricky with the wind towards the end and on the back nine, and some hard pin positions today too.
“I started with three birdies, one, two, and three, which was a really nice start. Then the back nine I made a good up-and-down on 11, then I got lucky on 13 after putting it in the water where I was able to play it.
“I’m trying not to think about the Rankings. My goal is to win because my season so far has been very average, but I’m not thinking about the 45, I’m just trying to play my best.”
Sweden’s Edfors, three times a winner on both the European Tour and the Challenge Tour, had eight birdies in a round of 66 as he reached ten under par 216 overall to climb the leaderboard.
His compatriot Joel Sjӧholm is one shot further back after a bogey-free round of 67, while James Heath and José-Filipe Lima – both already winners this season – share fourth place on eight under par 208

The four leading Scots are bracketed for 15th place on 211 - Paul Shields (67), David Law (69), Jack Doherty (69) and Duncan Stewart (70).

THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD 
par 216 (3x72)
205 Victor Rui (France) 67 69 69
206 Johan Edfors (Sweden) 70 70 66
207 Joel Sjoholm (Sweden) 71 69 67

SCOTS' SCORES
211 Paul Shields 69 75 67, David Law 69 73 69, Jack Doherty 70 72 69, Duncan Stewart 71 70 70 (T15)
215 Peter Whiteford 69 73 73 (T45)
219 Scott Henry 71 74 74 (T67)

 

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Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

Tyrrell Hatton equals Old Course record 

with a 62 and leads by three shots

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Tyrrell Hatton will take a commanding three-shot lead into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after posting a sensational 62 today to equal the course record at St Andrews.
The Englishman fired ten birdies and no bogeys at the Old Course on day three to propel himself to the top of the leaderboard.
Fellow countryman Ross Fisher, who led at the halfway stage, is Hatton's nearest challenger on 14 under after producing a 69 at Carnoustie.
Sweden's Joakim Lagergren and South African Richard Sterne are a further shot back, just ahead of German duo Martin Kaymer and Florian Fritsch on 12 under.
Hatton, who began his third round four shots behind overnight leader Fisher, got off to a flying start, making gains at four of the first six holes to move into contention.

Successive birdies at the eighth and ninth took Hatton to the turn in 30 and handed him the outright lead.
A birdie at the 12th saw Fisher regain a share of the lead but Hatton was alone at the top of the pile once more after sinking his birdie putt from close range at the tenth.
After safely parring the next three holes, Hatton sent his approach at the 14th to within eight feet and tapped in for a birdie.
The 24 year old drained a monster putt to pick up another shot at the 17th before tapping in from a couple of feet for a birdie at the last to get to 17 under.
Hatton, who is still searching for his first European Tour victory, was delighted with his score on Saturday. He said: "It's quite clearly the best round I've ever had. I've never actually got to double digits before, either, so very pleased with that.
"I putted really well again today. That was the big thing. Just kept momentum going with holing some good birdie putts and holed a couple of good par putts as well. That kept things going and I'm really happy with that finish.
"Obviously I'd love to get a win. I'll try my best tomorrow. It's been a really consistent year and it would be nice to have a good finish to the year."
Fisher covered his front nine in 35 after carding birdies at the second and sixth as well as a bogey at the third.
The 35 year old rolled in from four feet at the 12th before adding another birdie at the next.
Fisher regained the outright lead when he holed his 20-foot birdie putt at the 15th but a dropped shot at the 16th saw him finish on 14 under.
He said: : "It was decent. You never know what you're going to get when you turn up here. We were all hoping for Car-nicety and not Car-nasty. We got it.
"It was a beautiful day to play this place. What a golf course in this condition.
"Conditions were pretty benign. There wasn't much breeze. So whether it played easier or harder than what the other guys had it, I don't know.
"I heard stories about some of the clubs they were hitting onto the par fives and obviously we had it a lot longer and the tougher holes played easier for us.
"It was still tricky out there. It was very firm, very fiery, but yeah, overall, I felt pretty pleased with the round. There were a couple of scrappy shots.
"I maybe left a couple of putts out there but you know, all in all, I can't complain. It plays pretty good, and to shoot under par and shoot in the 60s for the third day running, I'm obviously very, very pleased."
Meanwhile, home favourite Marc Warren sits seventh on 11 under after mixing nine birdies with four bogeys at Carnoustie today.

THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
par 216 (3x72)
199 T Hatton (England) 67 70 62
202 R Fisher (England) 65 68 69, J Lagergren (Sweden) 60 68 69, R Sterne (South Africa) 69 69 65.

SCOTS' SCORES
205 M Warren 72 66 67 (7th)
211 C Lee 69 73 69, G Forrest 73 72 66 (T31)
212 D Drydale 72 72 68 (T44)
213 S Gallacher 70 75 68 (T53)
214 J McLeary 71 74 69, A McArthur 70 70 74, S Jamieson 67 75 723, R Ramsay 70 71 73 (T63)
218 E Ferguson 74 73 71 (T106)



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Snedeker leads by three with a round to go in Fiji

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
American Brandt Snedeker will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Fiji International after mastering the wind to get to 12 under at Natadola Bay Golf Course.
Strong winds last year meant winner Matt Kuchar was the only player to finish under par and while the gusts did not get that high on Saturday, they provided problems for many in the field.
Snedeker's 70 was his highest score so far this week following rounds of 69 and 65 but still allowed him to establish a cushion as he looks to make it two American wins in a row at the event.
The 35 year old had little time to get used to the course after flying in fresh from winning three points in the American Ryder Cup triumph last week, but he has certainly looked at home and enjoyed a run of 49 blemish-free holes over the first three days.
"It was a tough day, I did a great job of hanging in there," he said. "I hit the ball really well off the tee with one exception and put the ball where I needed to all day. I hit a bunch of great putts that didn't want to go in today for whatever reason.
"Starting the day out, if you'd have told me I'd shoot a couple under I probably would have taken it tough as the conditions are and as many big numbers are out there.
"I've given myself a chance and going into tomorrow I need to finish it off.
"A three-shot lead in wind like this is one hole so I need to go out there and play a solid round of golf like I did today.
"We'll see what the weather looks like. Hopefully we get a good day forecast, go out there and make some birdies and shoot something low."
Australia's Anthony Houston was then at nine under after a 73, a shot clear of countryman Matthew Giles who signed for a 75.
New Zealand duo Michael Hendry and Gareth Paddison were then at seven under.
Snedeker began the day a shot behind overnight leader Giles but was quickly into a share of the lead as the 27 year old bogeyed the first.
Another Giles bogey on the fifth and a Houston blemish on the sixth handed Snedeker the lead and when he birdied the ninth coupled with a Houston bogey, the advantage was three shots.
Snedeker made a second birdie of the day on the 14th and while a bogey two holes later ended his impressive run, the Nashville native was still very much in control.
All three of the leading contenders then birdied the 17th, with Houston breaking a run of seven pars and Giles coming home in 36 after a three over par front nine.
"I was struggling mid-round and I'd normally in the past give it away and drop a few more but I really hung in there and holed a few putts," said Houston.
"You never want to lose it and just give up when you're playing with such a good person, I'm sure he's been where I was before and he did the right things so I want to do the right things too.
"He's just a genuine guy for such a superstar."
Hendry signed for a 68 and Paddison - who broke the course record on Friday with a 64 - recorded a 69.
Ben Eccles, In-hoi Hur and Brett Rankin were then at six under, a shot clear of Andrew Evans, Matthew Griffin and Todd Sinnott.

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Tara Mactaggart has team-high five birdies 

for Stirling in Yale Invitational

The University of Stirling women's golf team are in 13th position in a field of 19 teams at the end of the first-round in the Yale University Women's Fall Invitational over 54 holes at New Haven, Connecticut.
Gemma Batty completed her final nine holes on the second morning, bad light having prevented several players from finishing them on Friday evening.
Completed Stirling first-round scores (four out of the five scores to count in each of the three rounds):
par 71
75 Jennifer Saxton, Gemma Batty
76 Tara Mactaggart
76 Sinead Sexton
78 Chloe Goadby (non-counting score)

It is a testing par 71 course:
Jennifer Saxton had a triple bogey 7 at the  11th.
Tara Mactaggart, pictured left, had a team high bag of five birdies (fourth, seventh, 11th, 15th and 16th)
Sinead Sexton had an 8 at the 18th.
Chloe Goadby had three double bogeys in her first six holes
Gemma Batty has had three bogeys in her first nine holes.







FIRST ROUND LEADERS
par 284
290 Dartmouth
292 Southern Florida, Columbia
293 Princeton
294 Yale
295 Boston College, Harvard
296 Penn
Other score:
302 Stirling (13th of 19 teams)

The University of Stirling men's team finished second in the corresponding Yale tournament for men last weekend.

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