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Sullivan maintains two shot lead during final round in Dubai
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Sullivan maintains two shot lead during final round in Dubai

Andy Sullivan maintained his two shot lead as he reached the turn in the final round of the 2020 Golf in Dubai Championship presented by DP World.

Andy Sullivan

The Englishman has been in superb form at Jumeirah Golf Estates - Fire Course and set the course record in the first round with a stunning 61.

He supported this with a patient 66 and 68 to reach 21 under par - two shots clear of fellow Englishman Matt Wallace ahead of final round.

Sullivan picked up three shots and one bogey on the front nine to sit two strokes ahead of France's Mike Lorenzo-Vera at 23 under par as he edged closer to his fifth European Tour win.

The World Number 72 made birdies on the first three days at the opening hole and he completed the clean sweep on Saturday to move to 22 under.

Playing partners Wallace and Italian Renato Paratore were the main challengers and they followed the leader with a gain at the first.

Paratore joined Wallace at 20 under when he rolled in another birdie at the second before the latter went left off the tee at the next.

Wallace had to lay up and had a putt for bogey from 15 feet but he pushed it left of the cup to slip to 18 under.

Lorenzo-Vera began his final round with a hat-trick of birdies to climb to 19 under and when he teed up at the seventh, the 35-year-old was in solo second.

Paratore went out of bounds off the fifth tee but looked like salvaging a bogey following a superb approach to four feet, only to miss the putt to drop back alongside Wallace and Antoine Rozner at 18 under.

Sullivan was now three shots clear as he parred the next four holes before dialling in to 12 feet at the sixth but he could not improve his score.

Lorenzo-Vera chipped to within four feet at the seventh and when he rolled in for a gain, he moved to 20 under par.

Rozner produced a stunning approach at the seventh for an eagle chance from eight feet but his effort rolled up inches short to sit one behind his fellow Frenchman.

There was an opportunity for Sullivan to increase his advantage at the same hole when he reached the fringe in two.

He could not hole the eagle attempt but tapped in for a birdie to climb to 23 under, three clear of Lorenzo-Vera who drained a nervy par putt at the eighth.

But Sullivan's momentum stalled at the eighth when he three putted and carded his third bogey of the week to cut his lead cut to two.

Ahead at the tenth, Lorenzo-Vera found the bunker with his tee shot but produced an exceptional approach to 13 feet and when he rolled in the birdie putt, he was one behind the leader.

As the leading challenger moved to the 21 under, Sullivan had a birdie putt of his own from seven feet at the ninth and drained the effort to restore his two shot lead.

Rozner remained in the hunt at 20 under, while Wallace, Italian Francesco Laporta, Swedish duo Niklas Lemke and Joakim Lagergren and Scotland's Grant Forrest were two shots further back.

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