(Reuters) - Argentine Daniel Vancsik has a second European Tour title in his sights, despite a late
stumbles towards the end of his third round at the Open de Madrid Valle Romano.
Vancsik now hopes to be part of a triumphant weekend for Argentina, with Angel Cabrera in the final of the HSBC World Match Play Championship and Argentina looking to reach the final of the Rugby world Cup.
A four under 68 took the leader for all three rounds to 13 under par, 203, two shots ahead of Denmark's Mads Vibe-Hastrup, who posted a 67.
Vancsik may well come under pressure from Northern Irish teenager Rory McIlroy, though. The 18 year old is well within reach of an historic maiden win in only his third event as a professional after
shooting a 66.
That took him to third place, four strokes off the lead, alongside the joint leader with Vancsik after two rounds, Spain's Alejandro Cañizares, who recovered well to post a level par 72 at the Real Sociedad Hipica Española Club de Campo.
Vancsik, in only his second year on the European Tour but looking to add to his Madeira Islands Open BPI success in March, was running away with the event, five strokes ahead of the field, before faltering at the island hole, the par three 14th.
Here his ball came up just short of the green and plummeted into the lake to cause him double bogey. He also bogeyed the 15th and 17th but salvaged his lead with birdies on the 16th and 18th.
"I would have taken a 68 so I can't get too angry about the 14th," said the Argentine. "It was playing really easy today but I still hit the ball into the water.
“I made another silly bogey on the 15th as well from the middle of the fairway, but I am leading by two and happy going into the final round.”
Vibe-Hastrup is eyeing his maiden title but third placed McIlroy could capture the final round headlines on Sunday if he beats South African Dale Hayes' record of the youngest European Tour champion by 127 days.
Hayes won the 1971 Spanish Open when he was 18 and 290 days; McIlroy will be 18 and 163 days on Sunday. The Ulster youngster began his third round in spectacular fashion, holing a 60 footer on the opening hole for the first of three successive birdies.
Only back to back bogeys on the incoming nine prevented the McIlroy, who collected eight birdies in all, from being nearer to his goal.
McIlroy is fully aware of the record and that he can also better Spaniard Sergio Garcia's record of winning on The European Tour in his fourth event as a professional.
He said: “I know that Sergio won his first Tour event in his fourth start and this is only my third as a pro. You never know what can happen, if I can shoot another 66 tomorrow you never know what can happen, but I am just trying to take it one day at a time and finish as high as I can.
“Everyone was saying that I was one of the favourites this week, which is tough to live up to because it’s my third event, but I think that was mostly because I had played so well at St Andrews last week. Luckily I have carried it through to this week and I am playing really well.”
