Saturday, November 04, 2017

European Tour's Turkish Airlines Open

Rose shoots a 64 to share third

place with a round to go

Round three report
Justin Rose strengthened both his bid for a second European Tour title in as many weeks and his overall Race to Dubai challenge with a third-round 64 in the Turkish Airlines Open to trail leaders Shane Lowry and Kiradech Aphibarnrat by two shots.
Englishman Rose won last week’s WGC-HSBC Champions after making up eight shots on World Number One Dustin Johnson – a victory which boosted his chances of catching Tommy Fleetwood at the top of the Race to Dubai with three events remaining. 
A victory in Turkey – the sixth of eight Rolex Series events on the European Tour – would significantly enhance that goal, and Rose is on the comeback trail again after starting the third round at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort nine shots behind overnight leader Nicolas Colsaerts.
Belgian Colsaerts quickly put further distance between himself and the field when he reached 16 under par with two birdies on the front nine, but he found the water on the 11th hole, racking up a double bogey, and then dropped further shots on the 12th and 15thholes for a two over par round of 73 to drop back to 12 under.
That brought Rose and the rest of the chasing pack back into contention, with Rose taking advantage courtesy of four consecutive birdies from the 12th hole to add to three gains in his first five holes on the front nine.
He begins the final round as part of a three-way share of third place, alongside Colsaerts and three-time Major Champion Padraig Harrington, who also signed for a round of 64.
Harrington will begin the final round in the final group and in the company of his fellow Irishman, Lowry, who carded six birdies in his round of 65, as he seeks a first victory since the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. 
The pair will be joined by Thailand’s Aphibarnrat – the runner up in the last Rolex Series event, the Italian Open, who joined Lowry on 14 under par after a round of 66.
Meanwhile Fleetwood will begin the final round nine shots back in a share of 27th place after a bogey-free round of 67.
Player quotes
Shane Lowry:
 “My short game was good today. It's something that I feel hasn't been that good throughout the year. I've spent a lot of time on it recently and it's been quite good this week. As a golfer, it's hard to say it's perfect, but it was good. I'm happy, 65 on a Saturday to put yourself up there is what you want.
“I suppose when I got myself out of position, I made a few nice up-and-downs. My chipping was nice. I took my chances when I got them and managed to drive it lovely for the last sort of 12 holes, and yeah, it was nice out there. I enjoyed it.
“I'm very excited about tomorrow, and I'm really happy with how today went and how I played and how I handled myself. Looking forward to getting out there and being in the hunt. I haven't really been there for a while, so it will be good.
It’s been a while since I've won, so I can't really remember what it was like. I just have to get out there tomorrow and play my game and do what I do every day. If it's good enough, it's good enough. If it's not, so be it and that's the way it is.”
Kiradech Aphibarnrat:
 “I think every part of my game are quite better than the standard. I didn't hit driver good, holed a couple putts, but overall, better than standard. Of course, from five strokes behind to be at the top of the leaderboard, the way I'm playing is quite comfortable.
“The last two months is the best moment for me. Striking the ball solid, so good. Even this week, it's not my A Game. I don't hit the iron shot as I do in Italy or in Dunhill, but it's much better than the standard. It's more green in regulations, putting is better, and overall it's just much better.
“I just try to keep knocking on the door. One day they open for me. One day I get the job done. Whatever I'm going to finish, I just want to enjoy the best moment in my golf career.
Justin Rose: 
“Today was the best I've played all week, and maybe even better than last week. I just felt really comfortable out on the golf course today.
“I kind of knew I had a low round in me this week, and to find it today was very handy, obviously moving day. Although I didn't go out chasing today, I wanted to go out really focused and really committed to my shots. I think I hit my irons better because of that today.
“I think as a golfer you always walk off feeling that there could have been one or two more putts that fell or whoever it might be. Overall very happy with that. I don't know what the lead is going to finish but right now within two, and if you had given me that at the beginning of the day, I'd have been delighted.
“I don't know Tommy (Fleetwood), what he shot today, but any Euro is going to be a handy Euro. If I was to play well in Dubai and win there, then whatever cheque I make tomorrow could be very valuable. Of course, everything's to play for and every shot counts at this stage of the season.
Round three scores
par 213 (3x71)
199 K Aphibarnrat (Thailand) 66 67 66, S Lowry (Ire) 68 66 65 
201 N Colsaerts (Belgium) 64 64 73, P Harrington (Ire) 65 72 64, J Rose (Eng) 69 68 64 
202 T Pieters (Belgium) 69 67 66
203 T Olesen (Denmark) 69 68 66, M Southgate (Eng) 69 65 69, S Gallacher (Sco) 69 65 69, E Pepperell (Eng) 66 66 71, D Frittelli (SAf) 70 67 66, M Pavon (Fra) 66 71 66 
204 J Suri (USA) 68 70 66, J Luiten (Netherlands) 64 73 67, P Dunne (Ire) 67 70 67, P Uihlein (USA) 69 67 68, L Westwood (Eng) 67 68 69, M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 69 65 70
205 F Zanotti (Paraguay) 72 66 67, C Shinkwin (Eng) 71 67 67, 
206 I Poulter (Eng) 66 71 69, P Waring (Eng) 70 69 67, A Levy (Fra) 72 70 64, 
207 C Wood (Eng) 68 73 66, S Kjeldsen (Denmark) 67 69 71, R Ramsay (Sco) 71 68 68, 
208 D Lipsky (USA) 74 67 67, T Fleetwood (Eng) 71 70 67, N Elvira (Spn) 69 71 68, A Romero (Arg) 65 72 71, M Kaymer (Ger) 71 71 66, T Hatton (Eng) 67 70 71, H Porteous (SAf) 64 75 69
209 B Wiesberger (Austria) 69 71 69, J Campillo (Spn) 68 71 70, R Rock (Eng) 72 69 68 
210 H Stenson (Swe) 73 71 66, M Siem (Ger) 70 70 70, A Dodt (Australia) 74 67 69, L Bjerregaard (Den) 70 70 70, J Smith (Eng) 69 67 74
211 A Altuntas (Tur) 71 69 71, B Hebert (Fra) 72 71 68, T Bjørn (Denmark) 70 71 70, S Brazel (Aus) 72 72 67
212 A Björk (Swe) 71 72 69, V Dubuisson (Fra) 73 70 69, G Coetzee (SAf) 71 71 70, R Wattel (Fra) 75 68 69 
213 A Sullivan (Eng) 69 69 75, A Connelly (Canada) 72 73 68, A Johnston (Eng) 70 73 70, R Fox (NZ) 73 68 72, G Bourdy (Fra) 69 74 70, E Molinari (Ita) 74 69 70
214 R Sterne (SAf) 76 71 67, S Hend (Australia) 72 70 72, A Wall (Eng) 74 72 68, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 74 70 70 
215 D Drysdale (Sco) 68 73 74, M Wallace (Eng) 71 72 72, R Paratore (Ita) 75 71 69, A Otaegui (Spn) 69 70 76, M Warren (Sco) 72 70 73, P Larrazábal (Spn) 81 70 64, J Wang (SKorea) 72 73 70
216 H Tanihara (Jpn) 74 69 73, H Li (China) 73 73 70, M Fraser (Australia) 69 71 76, D Horsey (Eng) 70 73 73, L Slattery (Eng) 70 72 74, S Jamieson (Sco) 73 74 69, B Stone (SAf) 70 74 72
218 D Burmester (SAf) 76 72 70 
226 L Acikalin (am) (Turkey) 73 77 76 
227 N Bertasio (Ita) 75 74 78
229 G Storm (Eng) 75 75 79
233 T Yamac (am) (Turkey) 79 79 75


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