Paul Casey gave himself the ideal opportunity to notch a second victory in the Johnnie Walker Championship when he overtook overnight leader Colin Montgomerie to snatch pole position going into Sunday’s final round on the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles.
Montgomerie, the home crowd hero, Championship Chairman and the man looking for victory to ease the pain of missing out on success in last week’s US Open Championship, led by two shots at the start of the day but Casey, who claimed his maiden European Tour victory in the 2001 tournament, battled back to lead by one at the end of an intriguing afternoon’s play.
As the dust settled, Casey’s excellent 66 had given him a 15 under par total of 204, one shot clear of Montgomerie, who posted a 69 for 205, while a dangerous trio lurked only two shots adrift of the Scot in third place on 12 under par 207, the Danish pairing of Thomas Björn and Søren Hansen and Brett Rumford of Australia.
At the turn, however, it looked very much like Montgomerie would be the man to continue to hold sway as an excellent outward half of 32, which included three birdies in a row from the sixth, saw him stretch his advantage over Casey to four shots.
But turning for home, two factors took their toll on proceedings; Montgomerie’s growing fatigue and Casey’s much greater length from the tee. The former showed in a bogey five at the 14th and no further birdies in the closing four holes for the Scot, while the latter manifested itself in two booming drives and approach shots to the par five 16th and 18th holes from the Englishman which yielded birdie fours at each hole.
“I only had a four iron into the 16th and had 208 yards to the front edge and at the 18th I could obviously reach with a three wood, I had 241 to the front edge,” said Casey. “So that was obviously two good birdies I had there and Colin failed to make one which was the difference between being in the lead by one.
“But I’m very happy with the day. Colin started out brilliantly and I made a slight mistake on the third and I think he was three or four ahead of me by then. But it just meant I had to battle back and I do enjoy chasing. Fortunately I made a few putts coming in and I managed to sneak ahead of him.”
Montgomerie admitted: “Length plays a big part on the this golf course and that has been proved over the years with the winners here, the Adam Scotts, the Canonicas, the Paul Caseys have won here and that is a big difference on this particular golf course to have the asset of length. I have got to do everything correct to have a go tomorrow - but I am very, very tired.”
On paper the most dangerous man in the third place trio is nine time European Tour champion Björn who rediscovered some of the form which saw him lead on day one after a 65, to card a third round 67, which featured a particularly impressive back nine of five under par 32.
“It was good today except for the ninth,” he admitted. “I felt that took a little bit of the air out of me making bogey six there. It was just a couple of stupid mistakes but all in all I fought back well and holed a couple of good putts on the back nine and I brought myself into a situation where at least I have a chance in the golf tournament when, after nine holes, I was playing myself out of the tournament.”
Fellow Dane Hansen will also be keen to notch his second European Tour success and will have a chance if he repeats the form which saw him post a third round 68. But Rumford, winner of the 2004 Nissan Irish Open, cannot be discounted either as his third round 67 proved.
“It has just been a case of developing my overall game and working with my new coach Peter Cowen has helped over the last five months and I feel like I have turned a corner,” said the Australian. “At the moment it is just a continual process and I had a couple of weeks off after Wales and played some pretty steady stuff before that so I am seeing some good signs and making some good progress.”
