JOHNSON DOUBLE-BOGEY FINISH GIVES POULTER, McDOWELL A CHANCE
REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
A double bogey on the final hole by runaway leader Dustin Johnson
allowed Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell to narrow the gap at the top of
the leaderboard going into the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions in
Shanghai.
Johnson, pictured, started the day at Sheshan International Golf Club with a five
shot advantage following a course record 63 on Friday and that margin
was intact when he headed to the par five 18th hole after ten
birdies in his opening 17 holes. However, the
big-hitting American found the water on the last and carded his second
double bogey of the day, after twice failing to chip onto the green on
the par fourth tenth hole, where he signed for a six.
That meant a round of 66 and an 18 under par total of 198 for the US
Ryder Cup player, who will now take a three-stroke lead over Poulter
into the final round, with 2010 US Open Champion McDowell a further shot
back.
“I'm still a little mad from my double bogey on 18,” said Johnson. “But
to have a three shot lead going into the last day is good, and I’m
looking forward to the challenge. I still have to play really well.
Obviously the guys that are right behind me, they
are playing very well, too. So it's still going to be a tough day
tomorrow. I’ve got to come out and make a lot of birdies.”
On a day of low scoring in China, defending champion Poulter fired a
superb nine under par 63, which included five birdies in row from the
third hole and an eagle three on the 14th, as he surged to 15 under par and firmly into contention to become
only the second player after Tiger Woods to retain a World Golf Championships title.
“Nine under par on any golf course is a good score, and that was a good
nine under par,” said Poulter. “I guess the only blemish for me, which
leaves a bit of a sour taste, was three‑putting 17, and actually missing
a couple of opportunities.
“As silly as it sounds when you make eight birdies and an eagle, there
were putts on one, two and eight that I could have made and a few
others.”
McDowell will also be looking to put pressure on Johnson in the final
round after posting six birdies in his opening 14 holes and then
chipping in from the greenside bunker for an eagle on the 16th hole in his flawless eight under par round of 64.
“Bizarrely, I really haven't got it going on the greens yet this week,”
he said. “I made a couple today, and it was bit of a bonus with the
bunker shot on 16. I haven't holed a lot of putts, though, so hopefully
I'm saving it for tomorrow.”
Former World Number One Rory McIlroy, the first round leader, birdied
the last two holes for a 67 and is six shots back on 12 under par in a
share of fourth place with US Open Champion Justin Rose and Canadian
Graham Delaet, both of whom carded rounds of 65.
Germany’s Martin Kaymer is a further two shots back on ten under par
after surging up the leaderboard with a magnificent course record 62.
THREE-ROUND TOTALS
Par 72 (3x72)
198 D Johnson (USA) 69 63 66
201 I Poulter (Eng) 71 67 63
202 G McDowell (NIr) 69 69 64
204 G Delaet (Can) 71 68 65, J Rose (Eng) 68 71 65, R McIlroy (Nir) 65 72 67
206 M Kaymer (Ger) 70 74 62, B Weekley (USA) 70 67 69, B Watson (USA) 68 69 69
207 J Donaldson (Wal) 67 74 66, T Fleetwood (Eng) 68 70 69, K Bradley (USA) 71 68 68, S Garcia (Esp) 70 68 69
208 G Fernandez-Castaño (Esp) 67 71 70
209 J Spieth (USA) 68 71 70, S Hend (Aus) 69 74 66, E Els (RSA) 69 69 71
210 G Bourdy (Fra) 75 68 67, L Oosthuizen (RSA) 70 70 70, B Van Pelt (USA) 77 67 66, J Jeong (Kor) 70 69 71
211 F Molinari (Ita) 72 69 70, P Casey (Eng) 69
73 69, J Dufner (USA) 73 67 71, L Donald (Eng) 70 71 70, P Mickelson
(USA) 71 68 72, L Wen-Chong (Chn) 72 67 72
212 B Horschel (USA) 71 69 72, L Westwood (Eng) 71
73 68, M Manassero (Ita) 72 70 70, T Jaidee (Tha) 76 68 68, M Brown
(Nzl) 72 68 72
213 M Ilonen (Fin) 72 69 72, B Haas (USA) 72 72
69, H Fujita (Jpn) 75 70 68, J Van Zyl (RSA) 72 73 68, P Hanson (Swe) 70
73 70, S Piercy (USA) 72 73 68, D Lynn (Eng) 74 70 69, R Moore (USA) 70 74 69, H Wen-Yi (Chn) 70 74 69
214 M Thompson (USA) 74 72 68, R Fowler (USA) 74 70 70,
215 B Grace (RSA) 77 71 67, K Aphibarnrat (Tha)
69 78 68, C Wood (Eng) 71 71 73, K Duke (USA) 70 72 73, B Gay (USA) 71
72 72, M Kawamura (Jpn) 73 72 70, G Bhullar (Ind) 69 71 75, J Walker
(USA) 73 73 69, K Streelman (USA) 70 73 72
216 N Watney (USA) 75 74 67, D Points (USA) 72 74 70, D Ernst (USA) 71 72 73, J Merrick (USA) 72 75 69, T Björn (Den) 74 72 70
217 B Snedeker (USA) 73 74 70, D Popovic (Aus) 77
71 69, P Uihlein (USA) 71 73 73, H Stenson (Swe) 74 76 67, L Hao-Tong
(Chn) 72 71 74
218 S Gallacher (Sco) 73 73 72, B Seuk-Hyun (SKor) 81 68 69, M Hendry (Nzl) 72 73 73
219 W Ashun (Chn) 74 75 70, D Fichardt (RSA) 70 74 75, J Blixt (Swe) 70 75 74
220 D Howell (Eng) 72 75 73
221 R Ishikawa (Jpn) 81 72 68, M Jiménez (Esp) 75 76 70, R Sterne (RSA) 74 73 74
222 R Jacquelin (Fra) 81 70 71
224 H Mu (Chn) 76 75 73
226 G Coetzee (RSA) 75 77 74
231 B Rumford (Aus) 75 77 79
240 H Ming-Jie (Chn) 83 77 80
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
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