Round up: Lowry lurking at Wentworth; cash chase in Austria
Miguel Angel Jiménez celebrating his 10th European Tour hole in one yesterday. Picture © Getty Images
European Tour - Shane Lowry loves Wentworth and he can continue that love affair today when he attempts to close a six shot gap on Korea’s Byeong Hun and Italy’s Francesco Molinari in the BMW PGA Championship.
European Tour rookie An, the youngest winner in the history of the US Amateur Championship in 2009, signed for a five under par round of 67 to catch Molinari, who has topped the leaderboard since posting an opening round of 65 on Thursday, on 14 under.
Former Ryder Cup player Molinari carded five birdies and one bogey in his round of 68 to keep his challenge going, but there were some fireworks in the groups ahead of the final pairing.
Englishman Tommy Fleetwood holed his second shot with a seven iron from 198 yards on the par five fourth hole for an albatross, and then eagled the 12th hole en route to a superb round of 65.
Meanwhile, there was another piece of history for Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiménez, the oldest winner on The European Tour, who aced the par three second hole for the tenth hole in one of his European Tour career – the most by any player, beating Colin Montgomerie’s previous record of nine.
It was Jiménez’s third hole in one of the season, and second in consecutive weeks, and a birdie on the last hole sealed a round of 68 for the 51 year old. That moved him to 10 under par for the tournament and into fifth place, a shot behind Fleetwood, while Thailand’s Thonagchai Jaidee is third on 12 under par, two shots behind the leading pair, after a third round of 68.
Lowry has three birdie and an eagle in a five under 67 to sit alone in seventh place on eight under.
“I have been very prolific this year,” Jimenez said. "This is my third one this year with Abu Dhabi, Spanish Open last week, and now here, and also a couple of times from the middle of the fairway. That means that my irons, they are like darts.
“I break so many records. I’m still winning tournaments, this year not yet but I’m coming, but now with the hole‑in‑ones, it's nice. It's nice to feel the way I feel.”
Complete third round scores (par 72) 202 F Molinari (Ita) 65 69 68, B An (Kor) 71 64 67; 204 T Jaidee (Tha) 70 66 68; 205 T Fleetwood (Eng) 69 71 65; 206 M Jiménez (Esp) 68 70 68; 207 A Noren (Swe) 72 67 68; 208 S Lowry (Irl) 74 67 67; 209 C Wood (Eng) 68 73 68,
--- Other Irish - 216 P Lawrie (Irl) 69 75 72; 217 G McDowell (Nir) 74 71 72; 220 D Clarke (Nir) 74 71 75; 221 D McGrane (Irl) 70 74 77.
Nacho Elvira. Picture © GEPA Pictures
Challenge Tour — Alexander Björk and Nacho Elvira will carry a one shot lead into the final round of the €180,000 Kärnten Golf Open presented by Mazda.
They matched 67s on another soaking wet day in Austria, where persistent rain again made for brutally tough scoring conditions at Golfclub Schloss Finkenstein in Gödersdorf.
The leading pair gritted their teeth and ground out four under par rounds to move to 15 under where Gareth Shaw (68) and Kevin Phelan (69) are six behind on nine under par.
Simon Thornton shot 68 to get to four under with Ruaidhri McGee back on two under after a 70
