Dawson just three behind in Sotogrande; Team Ireland lurking
Robin Dawson. Picture: Golffile
Robin Dawson is just three shots behind leader Jack Davidson heading to the final round of what looks like a two-horse race for the European Nations Cup in Cadiz.
Tied for the lead with the Welshman after two rounds, the Tramore man slipped two behind when he went out in two over 38 at Real Club de Golf de Sotogrande.
When he bogeyed the 10th and 12th, he was five shots behind Davidson with six to play. But in what was a rollercoaster finish, he played the last six in one-under to the Welshman's one-over and signed for a 73 that keeps his options very much alive.
Davidson made an eagle, six birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey six for his third successive round of 70 — the joint best score of the day — and a three-shot lead over Dawson on six-under-par.
It was a good day for Ireland, just two shots behind Wales in the team standings, as Tullamore's Stuart Grehan and Castle's Alex Gleeson both shot one-under 71s and Kevin LeBlanc posted his lowest round of the week, a 75.
Grehan had an eagle, three birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey in his 71, moving up five places to joint third on five over par alongside Spain's Angel Hidalgo and Sweden's Oliver Guillberg.
Trailing the lead by 11 and Dawson by eight, while Gleeson is two shots further back in joint seventh after he made three birdies and two bogeys in a very solid round.
LeBlanc also played well, especially early on. He picked up birdies at the eighth and 11th to be two under for the day with six to play.
But like the leaders, he suffered his lumps on the way home and dropped five shots in his last six holes to take some of the gloss off his day.
In the women's event, Chloé Salort of France also leads by three strokes after a 72 left her on six over.
Copa R.C.G. Sotogrande - European Nations Championship 2017 (Par 72)
1 DAVIDSON, JACK (Wal) -6 70 70 70 210
2 DAWSON, ROBIN (Ire) -3 71 69 73 213
T3 HIDALGO PORTILLO, ANGEL (Esp) +5 76 75 70 221
T3 GUILLBERG, OLIVER (Swe) +5 75 75 71 221
T3 GREHAN, STUART (Ire) +5 78 72 71 221
6 SCHELLONG, NICOLAS (Cze) +6 78 74 70 222
T7 GLEESON, ALEX (Ire) +7 77 75 71 223
T7 MACINTYRE, ROBERT (Sco) +7 79 71 73 223
T7 SYME, CONNOR (Sco) +7 76 74 73 223
T10 VAN VEEN, VINCE (Ned) +9 77 76 72 225
T10 REITAN, KRISTOFFER (Nor) +9 76 73 76 225
T10 BRAADLIE, MARKUS (Nor) +9 68 80 77 225
T10 BOOTE, DAVID (Wal) +9 70 76 79 225
T47 LEBLANC, KEVIN (Ire) +19 79 81 75 235
Team standings
1 Wales - D BOOTE / O EDWARDS / J DAVIDSON / J DAVIES +7 218 219 218 655
2 Ireland - GREHAN / A GLEESON / R DAWSON / K LEBLANC
+9 226 216 215 657
3 Spain - A ARNAUS ANTUNEZ / J SAINZ DELGADO / A HIDALGO PORTILLO / V PASTOR RUFIAN +23 228 222 221 671
T4 Scotland - R MACINTYRE / C SYME / C HOWIE / L JOHNSTON
+26 233 223 218 674
T4 Germany - M SCHMITT / R GEISSLER / M HAMMER / T VAHLENKAMP +26 224 226 224 674.
Women
