David Howell, without a European Tour victory since the 1999 Dubai Desert Classic, edged closer to that elusive follow-up success by taking a one stroke lead in to the final round of the Victor Chandler British Masters at The Marquess Course, Woburn Golf and Country Club.
Howell fired his second 68 of the week – with a 65 sandwiched in between – to lead with a 15 under par total of 201. The 25 year old from Swindon is one clear of Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, who shot a 69 for 202 while Thomas Levet of France carded a 67 to lie in third on 203.
At the start of a fascinating third day, Howell and Karlsson were locked together at 11 under par. By the time they reached the closing hole they were still inseparable on 15 under par, until Karlsson bunkered his approach and made his second bogey of the back nine.
There was so little between the leading protagonists that they both reached the turn in 32 with the assistance of four birdies. They both bogeyed the tough short 14th and seemed so close that they might have wanted to go out to dinner together afterwards.
However, it was Howell who took the slender advantage into the last day of a superb tournament over a course which has lived up to the hype. Lee Westwood, the true thoroughbred among the leading group, is an admirer of the layout and underlined the point by producing a 67 which he declared was “definitely the best I’ve played this year.”
Westwood made steady progression through the field to finish the day tied for fourth with his playing partner Mathias Grönberg and long-serving European Tour player Malcolm Mackenzie, who had seven birdies in a round of 66.
Howell, from the same stable as Westwood and Darren Clarke and doesn’t feel he lives in the shadow of two of the biggest names on the European scene, admitted: “I don’t know if it’s between Robert and me now, but if I can shoot 68 again there is probably only Robert and one other who can touch me. So it’s all down to me. A 71 or 72 is not going to do it – it’s going to have to be in the sixties again.”
Karlsson, winner of the Via Ditigal Open de España in April, praised the quality of the greens, which were saturated by the winter rains just a few weeks ago. He said: “I think the scoring is very low because of the greens. They are very good. Hopefully I can make a few putts tomorrow as I haven’t made many long ones.
“The worst thing that can happen to us tomorrow is that we start to play match play. Then it is easy for someone to come from behind. Both David and I must come out, play our own ball and shoot as low as we can.”
Levet, like Howell a one-time winner on The European Tour, recovered from a double bogey at the ninth to shoot a solid 67, while Westwood professed himself satisfied with a 67 of his own to climb into a share of fourth. Two years ago he emerged from the pack in successive weeks to win the TNT Open and the Smurfit European Open from five strokes and seven strokes back respectively.
“Yes, I know from experience that five behind is not too many to come back from” he said with masterly understatement. “I was pleased with a 67. This has got me back into it, although it would have been nice to shoot 65 and get a little bit closer.”
Westwood and his coach, Pete Cowen, could have been forgiven for shouting ‘eureka’ on the Woburn range the previous night. Their intense session produced the desired results, with Westwood convinced he has located the source of his indifferent early season form.
He said: “My game is improving in all aspects. I made some progress last night with Pete on the range. We figured out what was causing me to play poorly. It had an instant success today and I am delighted with it, although it’s going to be a gradual progression to get where I want to be.”
Mackenzie, just a few months short of his 40th birthday, forced his way into contention on the same mark as Westwood. Last November, after four seasons when he was unable to reach the top 100 in the Volvo Order of Merit, he made his second successive visit to the Qualifying School.
A successful trip to southern Spain was followed by an equally rewarding journey to a specialist who assisted him in diagnosing a neck injury which has handicapped him, off and on, for about eight years.
“The real difference this year has been in getting rid of the injury. It’s wonderful at the moment. It’s nice to be injury fee. It seems the trouble was caused by a bad disc so I’ve been to the gym working on that area, loosening it up and I am now seeing the benefit.”
