Olesen four clear in Ras Al Khaimah; top 10s for Wilson and Fleming at Penina

Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen will take a four-stroke lead into the final round of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship as he bids for an eighth DP World Tour win.

The 2018 Ryder Cup star followed Friday’s course record-equalling ten-under-par 62 with a nine-under 63 to lead on 22-under from fellow Dane Rasmus Højgaard, whose 68 included a crucial 18-foot par-saving putt on the 18th.

“I thought today I played a lot better (than yesterday),” Olesen said. “I hit a lot more fairways today, and that gave me the chance to be aggressive with the second shots. 

“It was nice to find so many fairways. It was a great round again.

“I’ll play roughly the same. You have a guy like Rasmus behind you and you know anything can happen with his firepower.

“You have to keep focused, do your own thing. It’s never going to be easy, but I’m going to try my hardest.”

Olsen has converted six of his previous seven 54-hole leads into wins and hopes to make it seven from eight.

“That’s a pretty good stat,” he said. “I feel pretty comfortable in that position. There’s always going to be nerves, but it’s how you deal with it. 

“I enjoy being in that position. That’s what you practice for as a little kid, to have the chance to win on a Sunday on the DP World Tour. It’s going to be a lot of fun tomorrow.”

Højgaard, whose twin brother Nicolai is just a shot off the lead heading into this evening’s final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, was pleased with his par save at the last.

“(The putt on 18) was very important,” Hojgaard said. “My last two holes… I played them not exactly how you would want to. But I managed to hole two very good putts and I feel like I’ve given myself a chance for tomorrow.”

Galgorm’s Tom McKibbin made three birdies in a 70 to share 25th on nine-under, while Padraig Harrington’s one over 73 left him joint 57th on five-under.

In amateur golf, Lurgan’s Annabel Wilson and Elm Park’s Emma Fleming clinched top-10 finishes in the Portuguese International Ladies Amateur at Penina.

Wilson closed with a level par 73 to finish tied eighth on six-under, 12 strokes behind Germany’s Helen Briem, who also shot 73 to win by four strokes from Sweden’s Moa Stridth on 18-under.

Fleming made six birdies in a three-under 70 to tie for 10th on five-under, while Hermitage’s Kate Lanigan shot 72 to share 16th on three-under.