SOUTH KOREAN STAR SHARES AVIEMORE LEAD WITH STEVEN TILERY

 

                  

 THIRD-ROUND REPORT BY NEIL A'HERN
 European Challenge Tour Press Officer

The Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels and 

Resorts is set for an enthralling final day on Sunday as young South 

Korean star Byeong-hun An and experienced Englishman Steven Tiley 

share the third-round lead with European Challenge Tour No. 1 

Brooks Koepka just a single shot back.

Koepka, who is fast gaining a reputation as one of the most promising 

up and coming players in the world, equalled the course record set 

earlier in the week at Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Club with a 

stunning nine under par 62 to climb 21 places into tied third.

The American has won three times on the Challenge Tour in the last 

12 months - twice this calendar year - but he will have to overcome 

the two leaders when he plays in the final group tomorrow if he is to 

clinch a third win of the season, which would gain him automatic 

promotion to The European Tour.

An, who became the youngest player to win the US Amateur 

Championship in 2009, shared the first round lead with Alan Dunbar 

after equalling the Northern Irishman’s course record 62 and he 

followed up a steady second round 70 with a six under par third 

round 65 to climb back to the summit on 16 under.

“It was definitely a good round,” said the 21 year old Seoul native. “I 

missed a few birdie putts but I’m putting pretty well in general and 

seeing a lot of good lines and I came pretty close on most putts, even 

the long ones.

“This course can get really easy if you are hitting it long. You can get 

it really close because there are some short holes and we’ll see how 

we do tomorrow. I’m not sure about how the weather will be, I think 

it is meant to be bad but I’m OK with that.”

Tiley, meanwhile, carded a superb eight under par round of 63 which 

included a seven under par front nine and he was looking forward to 

taking on two young players with huge reputations in what is sure to 

be a cracking finale at the northern Scotland venue.

“I birdied five of the first six holes so it doesn’t get much better than 

 that,” said the 30 year old. “I’m looking forward to the last round, 

definitely. I have been putting some work in over the past few days 

and it's paying off. I’m just playing well really. 

“I played in the group front of Brooks at the Czech Republic and he 

was hitting it obscene distances. You hear a lot of people talking 

about him, that he is hitting it a long way and is just a very good 

player. It looks like he has a bright future ahead of him so it will be 

good to play with him.”

Koepka, himself, is still on top of the world despite feeling tired after 

a busy nine-week period and is proud that so many people are 

speaking so highly of him, with some experienced Challenge Tour and 

European Tour players saying he is the best player they have ever seen.

“It’s nice that people are talking about me,” said the 23 year old. “I 

can’t control that but all I can do is go out and play good golf and 

everything takes care of itself.

“I really want that third win, it’s been driving me a lot. I really want to 

get one before I go home to the USA for a while and this is my last 

week. I want to get out there on The European Tour.”

Koepka shared third place with Andrea Pavan, the 2011 Challenge 

Tour Grand Final winner who finished second in the Rankings behind 

Tommy Fleetwood that year, after the Italian signed for a five under 

par 66.

Jens Dantorp of Sweden was a shot further back in fifth place after a 

two under par 69 left him on 14 under while Scots Jack Doherty and 

Duncan Stewart, who both carded rounds of 68, were among the 

group of six players sharing sixth place on 13 under.

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)

197 B An (Kor) 62 70 65, S Tiley (Eng) 67 67 63,

198 B Koepka  (USA) 70 66 62, A Pavan (Ita) 65 67 66,

199 J Dantorp (Swe) 65 65 69,

200 M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra) 67 68 65, A Velasco (Esp) 66 69 65, J Doherty  (Sco) 66 66 68, D Frittelli (RSA) 65 68 67, D Stewart (Sco) 65 67 68, S Walker (Eng) 67 65 68,

201 E Dubois (Fra) 66 67 68, T Hatton (Eng) 65 69 67, G Hutcheon (Sco) 68 69 64, J Carlsson (Swe) 66 68 67, G Cambis  (Fra) 66 66 69

202 M Trappel  (Aut) 68 69 65, T Murray (Eng) 67 65 70,

203 S Garcia (Esp) 63 70 70,

204 P Maddy (Eng) 68 68 68, N McCarthy  (Eng) 69 69 66, C Kelly (Sco) 68 71 65, T Remkes (Ned) 66 66 72,

205 L Kennedy  (Eng) 67 71 67, J Watts (Eng) 65 74 66, G Dear (Sco) 68 69 68, G Wright  (Wal) 68 68 69,

206 J Abbott (Eng) 70 67 69, S Kim (Kor) 69 69 68, A Dunbar (Nir) 62 69 75, K Borsheim  (Nor) 68 71 67, K Ferrie (Eng) 67 68 71, J Huldahl (Den) 68 67 71, D Dixon (Eng) 68 68 70, T Sluiter  (Ned) 71 65 70, A Forsyth (Sco) 69 69 68, B Hebert  (Fra) 67 71 68, R Kellett (Sco) 68 69 69, D Geminiani (Ita) 71 67 68,

207 E Saltman  (Sco) 71 68 68, N Kearney (Irl) 70 69 68, J Gibb (Eng) 68 70 69, J McLeary  (Sco) 66 71 70, O Whiteley (Eng) 72 65 70, T Nørret (Den) 68 66 73, P McKechnie (Sco) 67 70 70, J Garcia Pinto (Esp) 70 69 68, P Edberg (Swe) 69 67 71, J Guerrier  (Fra) 68 70 69,

208 C Moriarty (Irl) 69 65 74, S Dodd (Wal) 72 67 69, N Lemke (Swe) 65 70 73, R Quiros  (Esp) 70 66 72, C Russo (Fra) 66 73 69, J Fahrbring (Swe) 70 68 70, O Wilson (Eng) 72 66 70,

209 A Gee  (Eng) 69 70 70, J Mikkelsen (Nor) 69 70 70, T Pilkadaris (Aus) 69 69 71, J Lima  (Por) 67 72 70, J Mommo  (Fin) 68 70 71, A Bernadet  (Fra) 69 70 70, B Etchart  (Esp) 71 68 70,

210 M Sell  (Eng) 69 70 71,

211 M Kerr  (Sco) 71 68 72, S Parry  (Eng) 68 71 72, L Saltman (Sco) 70 69 72,

212 S Manley (Wal) 68 71 73, S Whiffin (Eng) 73 65 74,

213 G Shaw (Nir) 69 68 76,

214 L Corfield  (Eng) 70 69 75,

 

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