The third round of the Algarve Open de Portugal at Quinta do Lago ended as a log jam as five players shared the lead at 11 under par 205. Overnight pacesetter Padraig Harrington was one, but the Irishman was joined by David Gilford, Sven Strüver, Stephen Scahill and Simon Dyson, all vying for the 166,660 euro first prize.
In ideal scoring conditions, 69 of the 82 players who made the cut finished under par and indeed 26 players finished with five shots of the lead as the birdies rattled in. But going into the final round it was the leading quintet who held the narrowest of advantages.
Ironically, Padraig Harrington, the man who had led on his own since his opening day 64, carded the worst round of the leading five players, but the 29 year old Dubliner admitted he was not too concerned on that score.
“Obviously it is my highest score in the easiest conditions but I was still quite happy with the way I hit the ball,” he said. “ The important thing to remember is that I’m still leading the tournament and there’s not much more you can ask for on a Saturday evening.
“I suppose I missed a bit of an opportunity out there today. If I’d shot five or six under like some of the other guys, then the tournament would be in my grip. I haven’t done that but neither have I taken the tournament away from myself either.”
Harrington started well with birdies at the second and sixth to reach the turn in 34 but he missed a three footer for par on the 11th and three-putted the 12th for par to dent his confidence on the greens. A birdie did follow at the 13th where he holed from eight feet but he pulled his drive at the 17th to run up a bogey six to see him home in 37.
Earliest man in on the 11 under par mark was Germany’s Sven Strüver who, unlike Harrington, was flawless and carded seven birdies without a mistake in an excellent 65, the best round of the five players who shared the lead.
The three time winner on The European Tour put his prominence down to an improvement in his putting which he admitted might still not be perfect, but which was better than of late. “I am hard on myself normally but I have played pretty well here,” he said.
“I had 29 putts today which is still quite a lot in a 65 but is about four less a round than I normally have been recording. You need to average about 27-28 putts a round now normally to be in the top ten in tournaments which is perhaps why I haven’t been there.”
Next best round of the leading group was posted by New Zealander Stephen Scahill who, like Struver, did not make any mistakes in his 66. He did receive a large slice of luck on the 421 yard eight hole however, where his wayward drive just landed in bounds from where he was able to scramble par.
“My drive was terrible and hit a tree and flew towards the out of bounds,” he said. “There was also a big bush about three feet from where my ball landed so I really could have taken seven or anything on that hole. The fact I played out and managed to up and down from 100 yards suggested to me it might be my day.”
Next in the leading group was young Englishman Simon Dyson, who exhibited some of the form which saw him win last year’s Davidoff Order of Merit on the Asian PGA Tour, with a battling 67 which included recovering manfully from a dropped shot at the 15th to immediately birdie the 16th and 17th.
“Now I’ve got myself into this position I’d like to think I can capitalise on it,” he said. “A top ten spot would be nice and if I finished in the top three I’d be over the moon. If I win though, you’d have no difficulty seeing how I feel.”
Making up the leading group was David Gilford, who found a return to form with a 69 to continue a good week on the Algarve.
“I didn’t play many tournaments last year because I had a bit of a virus at the start of the year which knocked me back a little bit,” he said. “But this year I’ve been going to a health club and been doing a bit of training. I’m now up to just over 12 stone which is the heaviest I’ve ever been and I think that extra strength is helping me hit the ball a little further as well as improving my technique.”
Nearest challengers to the leading five players where Sweden’s Niclas Fasth and England’s David Howell, who both finished one shot behind on ten under par 206 after respective rounds of 68 and 69.
