English rookie Oliver Wilson took advantage of a late slip by fellow countryman, Miles Tunnicliff, to lead the field after the third round of the Holden New Zealand Open at Gulf Harbour CC, Auckland. The 24 year old shot a four under par 68 for a 17 under par total of 199 and a one stroke lead over Tunnicliff.
While Tunnicliff dropped shots at the brutal 17th and 18th holes in a round of 70, Wilson ground out two pars to find himself tantalisingly close to pulling off his first European Tour victory within a matter of months of attaining the 15th and final card through the Challenge Tour.
Wilson kept his concentration and handled the strong south west wind wonderfully well to take the edge over the experienced Tunnicliff, who in turn is one ahead of Australian left-hander Richard Green. Just to underline the strength of the Challenge Tour, last year’s Number One, Lee Slattery of England, is currently tied for seventh.
The overnight leader, Swede Niclas Fasth, slipped back with a 75 which was 12 shots worse than his course record-equalling round the previous day, to be one of three players sharing fourth place.
Wilson, though, could not resist a peek into the future, knowing that he would be playing in the final group for the first time.
A profession for just 18 months, who made the switch after helping Great Britain and Ireland retain the Walker Cup in 2003, Wilson said: "I’m not nervous at the moment but I probably will be later.
"I’m sure I will not sleep tonight then I’ve got time to waste tomorrow before I hit off. Luckily I’m staying at a little apartment by the sea and I’ll wander around.”
In four previous starts this season, Wilson’s best performances have been tied 68th in the dunhill championship and 68th in the South African Airways Open. Now he is perched on the brink of a major breakthrough.
Wilson, who lives both in Mansfield in England and in Augusta in the United States, had had five top ten finishes and led a couple of times going into the last round while learning his trade on the Challenge Tour, but admitted:. ”That was nothing like this.”
He has received emails of encouragement from friends in both England and the United States and one from his mum, Vicky, which told him "to hang in there."
Wilson holed a superb birdie putt on the first and that was the forerunner for three more consecutive birdies. He dropped a shot at the difficult ninth after "an awful chip, I deserved that though it is a tough hole’’ - and he three putted the tenth for bogey.
Birdies at the 11th, 12th and 15th preceded a bogey at the 16th and he calmly parred the last two holes which caused so much heartache for his fellow competitors. He added "Those last two holes were not much fun but I ground it out. The front nine settled me down. I kept making birdies early and made a few good saves."
Tunnicliff, 36, knows how to win, having Tour victories in England and Scotland and both times after being on the pace going into the last round. Asked what his plan was for tomorrow he jokingly replied: " to shoot 60 and win".
"I played solidly early (he was out in four under 32), but had two birdies and four bogeys on the far more searching back nine.”
Australians Andrew Tschudin and Peter O’Malley and Englishman Slattery were the big movers on the day, all carded six under par 66s which propelled them into the top 20.
Slattery was fastest out of the blocks. He started sensationally with birdies at the first six holes, but a bogey at the ninth slightly spoilt the front nine which was completed in 31.
On the more testing back nine, he held his form well, firing eight pars and a birdie at the 14th hole, which ranks high among the hardest holes.
