Retief Goosen stayed on course to capture his third title of the season and Europe’s ultimate prize for consistency – the Volvo Order of Merit – in the Telefonica Open de Madrid at Club de Campo.
The South African, who won the US Open Championship and The Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, carries a two stroke lead into the final round in Madrid and is now virtually assured of finishing ahead of the only other contender for the Vardon Trophy, Darren Clarke.
Goosen shot a five under par 66 for a 17 under par total of 196 and a handy cushion over a trio of players in Steve Webster of England, Spain’s Diego Borrego and Irishman David Higgins, who all have differing reasons for craving success.
Webster, who carded a 68 for a total of 198, is aiming to break his duck on The European Tour after several close calls. Higgins, the halfway leader, started the week in 128th position in the Volvo Order of Merit and knows that a top ten will safeguard his playing rights for 2002 and he moves closer to that objective with a 69
Meanwhile Borrego, who began the week 139 places below Goosen and in imminent danger of losing his card, shot a best of the day 64 to set up the prospect of a major rescue act on the last day. The Spaniard, encouraged by the vocal home support, needs to finish in the top five to be assured of his card.
Goosen, though, remains in pole position to win the third title of the year which eluded him last month in the Trophée Lancôme, although Clarke also proved he is not yet out of the running with a round of 65 for 201, 12 under par, alongside Richard Green of Australia and Austria’s Markus Brier.
The South African birdied the second and fourth then slipped effortlessly into overdrive by picking up a hat-trick of shots from the eighth. His inward half was a little rugged as his birdies at the 14th and 18th atoned for dropped shots at the 12th and 17th.
With 2,568,021 euro (£1,605,765) to his name compared to Clarke’s 1,811,357 euro (£1,132,629) it looks as if the two horse race for the Volvo Order of Merit crown may be reduced to just one name, with Goosen ready to accede to the throne vacated by Lee Westwood.
Webster had opportunities to close in on Goosen at the top of the leaderboard by his charge was halted by a double bogey six at the 14th. However he hit back with a brace of birdies at the 16th and 17th to close with a 68.
Higgins’s round was a tale of five birdies interspersed by three bogeys while Borrego put together his round of the year with two halves of 32. On the front nine Borrego birdied the fourth and ninth and weighed in with an eagle at the seventh then birdied three in a row from the 13th on his homeward trip.
Clarke, meanwhile, birdied five of the first seven holes to announce his arrival just behind the leaders, but his challenge ran out of steam after that and he managed only one more birdie at the 13th.
