SCOTS NOW SECOND BUT FIVE BEHIND LEADERS FRANCE

By COLIN FARQUHARSON Colin@scottishgolfview.com Scotland have improved into second place in a field of 26 teams with one round to go in the PGAs of Europe international  championship over the Vale do Lobo Ocean Course on Portugal's Algarve coastline. But Jim McKinnon (Irvine), Ladybank's Alan Lockhart and Chris Currie (Caldwell) have five shots to make up on leaders France - a tall order, even under the two-from-three scores to count format. France, represented by "unknown" club pros Benjamin Nicolay 68, Stephane Lahary 70 and Bertrand Cornut 72 (non-counting), had a third-round team total of six-under 138 today to take up the outright pole position on 14-under 418. Scotland, with Currie having his first counting round of the tournament, a two-under 70, and the steady McKinnon chipping in with a 71, added 141 to their score to be on nine-under 423. After two rounds of 70, Lockhart sagged to a 77. The Scots are shot ahead of third-placed England (Craig Goodfellow 69, Gary Brown 72 and Chris Gill a non-counting 78) who score 141 for 424. Ireland (David Ryan 72, John Kelly 75 and Eamonn Brady a non-counting 83) dropped back to seventh place on 429 after a third-round score of 147. Wales (Andrew Barnett 71, Simon Edwards 72 and Matthew Parsley a non-counting 89) are 11th on 439 with a 143 addition.

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 432 (6x72)
418 FRANCE 140 140 138.
423 SCOTLAND 145 137 141.
424 ENGLAND 136 147 141.
425 SPAIN 142 138 147.
427 ITALY 138 142 147.
428 DENMARK 148 142 138.
429 IRELAND 139 143 147.
433 AUSTRIA 147 144 142.
436 POLAND, SOUTH AFRICA.
439 WALES 151 145 143.
440 SWEDEN, PORTUGAL.
441 SWITZERLAND.
442 NETHERLANDS.
443 GERMANY.
444 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.
449 CZECH REPUBLIC.
452 NORWAY, BELGIUM.
459 CROATIA.
464 SLOVENIA.
468 ICELAND.
469 FINLAND.
472 HUNGARY, RUSSIA

FRANCE FAVOURITES TO WIN - WITH OR WITHOUT THE WEATHER

FROM THE PGAs OF EUROPE WEBSITE
Benjamin Nicolay played the role of Capitaine Fantastique to perfection at Vale do Lobo to put France on track to win the PGAs of Europe International Team Championship and make up for last year’s bitter disappointment.
Nicolay was a member of the team 12 months ago when, with France looking the likely winners, thunder, lightning and a deluge, which swamped the course, caused the fourth round to be abandoned.
As a result England were declared the winners by virtue of the fact they were leading at the end of round three. Which, thanks to Nicolay’s joint best of the day four-under-par round of 68 and another valuable contribution from Stephane Lahary, is where France find themselves going into the final day.
Their combined effort has put France five strokes clear of Scotland in the race for the €6,000 first prize and a victory that would be only their second in the competition. Given the tournament’s format – the best two scores from three counting – a five-stroke advantage could hardly be described as unassailable – unless, of course, the weather has the last word again.
However, Nicolay is confident all three members of his team are playing well enough to withstand any challenges mounted by Scotland or the five others that remain under par - without any assistance from Mother Nature.
Talking of his game after recording the fourth birdie of his round at the par-five 18th, the Frenchman said: “It was the right time to produce a round like that. It’s helped us get into a great position but my team-mates are also playing well. Stephane followed up his second round of three-under by shooting two-under and Bertrand (Cornut) was level par for the second round running.
“As well as playing consistently, we’re improving all the time. We’re in a great position and it’s a big chance for us. We were very disappointed last year, especially as we were going so well. Hopefully, it will work out for us this time.”
Scotland, with Chris Currie finding form on day three with a round of two-under and Jim McKinnon (one-under) also contributing, look the likeliest lads to poop the French party. And England, a shot further adrift, cannot be discounted, especially after Craig Goodfellow rediscovered his mojo and Gary Brown is finding his touch.
Goodfellow, whose round of 66 on day one was the second best of the tournament so far, put the memory of his disastrous six-over-par follow-up to post three-under.Meanwhile, Brown contributed to his side’s total for the first time by shooting level par.
Spain, on seven-under, are also in the hunt, although they will have to make up the leeway a man short if Fernando Roca does not recover from an injured thumb. And Italy, joint-leaders overnight with France and Spain, will have to produce a collective recovery after posting five-over and slipping to fifth.
As for a dark horse – look no further than Denmark who are improving with every round. An opening round of four-over was followed by one of two-under before Rune Olsen and Martin Hansen both carded 69s to take the Danes to four-under for the competition and up to sixth place.
The rounds were also one stroke short of the best of the day posted by Nicolay and Sweden’s Peter Grimfjord. Olsen, however, was left to curse some near misses for not surpassing that total. “The putts just would not drop,” he said, “although I was very pleased with my round. If we can play like that again in the fourth round, we could get up to third or fourth, which would be the best we’ve ever done.”
The PGAs of Europe’s Annual Congress and International Team Championship are supported once again by Glenmuir, Associaçäo Turismo do Algarve and the Ryder Cup European Development Trust.