Devlin and Shaw shining in the Canaries
Leader Brooks Koepka. Picture via Fred Olsen Challenge de EspañaChallenge Tour starts are hard to come by but Chris Devlin is taking advantage of his first outing of the season in the Canaries.
The Florida-based Ballymena man added a 67 to previous rounds of 69 and 68 to move up to seventh place entering the final round of the Fred Olsen Challenge de España on La Gomera.
Six birdies and one bogey left Devlin on nine under par but while that’s 10 shots behind impressive leader and Challenge Tour No 1 Brooks Koepka, Devlin still has a chance to make a huge leap up the Rankings and give himself a chance of futher starts on the secodn tier tour this season.
Lurgan’s Gareth Shaw also had a good day, adding a four under 67 to a brace of 70s to share 21st on six under.
Koepka, meanwhile, added a seven under par 64 to rounds of 64 and 66 to race four shots clear of Frenchman Edouard Dubois at Tecina Golf.
“Overall I am playing well and shootoing another low score out there today really helps to build confidence and keep the momentum going in the right way,” said Koepka who leads the Challenge Tour Rankings thanks, in the main, to his victory in the Montecchia Golf Open presented by POLAROID three weeks ago.
“I still feel like I could be holing more putts, though. I have had three three-putts this week and if I can eliminate that then I have a chance to win because I am playing really well.
“I have to go out there and play my best because someone can shot a 59 on this golf course if they really get it going out there.”
Fred Olsen Challenge de España
After 54 holes
194 B Koepka (USA) 64 66 64;
198 E Dubois (Fra) 63 67 68;
202 B Ritthammer (Ger) 67 70 65;
203 N Meitinger (Ger) 64 72 67; A Garcia-Heredia (Esp) 70 65 68; P Relecom (Bel) 67 68 68;
204 R Steiner (Aut) 69 67 68; L Claverie (Esp) 69 66 69; T Pilkadaris (Aus) 67 69 68; C Devlin (Nir) 69 68 67; S Kim (Kor) 69 68 67; D Stewart (Sco) 68 73 63;
205 D Brooks (Eng) 69 66 70; D Wuensche (Ger) 70 65 70; B An (Kor) 70 69 66; J Guerrier (Fra) 64 70 71; D Im (USA) 74 65 66;
206 V Riu (Fra) 67 69 70; C Russo (Fra) 70 71 65; A Pavan (Ita) 70 68 68;
207 J Legarrea (Esp) 65 70 72; M Pastor (Esp) 67 69 71; D Ulrich (Sui) 67 68 72; G Shaw (Nir) 70 70 67;
208 L Bjerregaard (Den) 67 74 67; A Bernadet (Fra) 69 72 67; S Manley (Wal) 71 69 68; S Hutsby (Eng) 68 71 69;
209 J Abbott (Eng) 71 69 69; A Maestroni (Ita) 73 68 68; J Watts (Eng) 70 67 72; S Garcia Rodriguez (Esp) 69 71 69; P Herreria (Esp) 66 76 67; M Haastrup (Den) 71 66 72;
210 J Timmis (Eng) 69 69 72; B Hafthorsson (Isl) 71 71 68; S Walker (Eng) 72 68 70; E Johansen (Nor) 72 69 69; S Fallon (Eng) 72 67 71;
211 P Archer (Eng) 71 69 71; M Ford (Eng) 70 67 74; D Palm (Swe) 70 72 69; I Korvenmaa (Fin) 67 72 72; E Espana (Fra) 71 70 70; D Frittelli (RSA) 70 69 72;
212 L Goddard (Eng) 70 70 72; A Velasco (Esp) 76 65 71; M Haremza (Ger) 70 69 73; O Whiteley (Eng) 69 70 73; D Geminiani (Ita) 71 70 71; A Otaegui (Esp) 68 74 70; T Fournier (Fra) 71 70 71; J McLeary (Sco) 72 68 72; C Kim (USA) 73 68 71;
213 E Bertheussen (Nor) 68 72 73; J Fahrbring (Swe) 72 70 71; G Piris Mateu (Esp) 73 69 71; R Kellett (Sco) 71 71 71; R Mattila (Fin) 72 70 71; J Bragulat (Esp) 71 68 74;
214 J Maurer (Aut) 68 72 74; M Quiros (Esp) 70 69 75;
215 P Edberg (Swe) 75 66 74; T Nørret (Den) 72 70 73;
216 K Ferrie (Eng) 75 65 76; D Kemmer (USA) 75 67 74; J Barnes (Eng) 72 68 76;