South Africa’s Retief Goosen led after the third round of the European Open in Dublin on Saturday and is still on course for consecutive victories following his US Open triumph last month.
The South African, in his first tournament since capturing his second US Open title two weeks ago, was caught by both England’s Lee Westwood and little-known Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara during the third round.
But a 3,05m birdie putt on the 344m 15th put Goosen back in sole possession of top spot and he then safely negotiated a final hole that an hour earlier had seen Swede Peter Hedblom put three balls in the water for a sextuple bogey 11.
”If you can still be in the lead it’s not all that bad,” said the world number seven, who stands nine under par with 18 holes to go. ”But hopefully I can play better tomorrow. I struggled to get into a rhythm and hit a lot of poor shots.”
Lara, chasing his first European Tour success, lies second, one stroke behind. Westwood, seeking his third win in the event is two shots back in third.
The highlight of Westwood’s 71 was an eagle putt of about 18m on the long 10th, but it followed a double-bogey six where he had to be taken back to the tee after his drive into the trees nearly finished in the River Liffey.
He said: ”It was a bit frustrating out there — I felt I played better than 71. But everybody is going to hit bad shots and I’m no exception.
”Over the last few years I’ve hit more bad shots than most people, but you just have to put it out of your mind.
”But if you can have a day when you don’t hole any putts [with one notable exception] and don’t do any damage you have to take consolation from that.”
He started three behind and finished closer.
Lara, a 27-year-old from Valencia, was joint second in the Italian Open last year and third in Qatar this March, but he has missed his last five cuts and was heading for another when he played his first nine holes in five over on Thursday.
He was wondering then whether a shamrock badge he was given for luck was doing any good, but he followed that with five successive birdies, then had a hole-in-one in his second-round 68 and improved one shot on that Saturday to earn himself a last-group pairing with Goosen. — Sapa-AFP