LIFFIN’ THE DREAM
Flawless Van Rooyen on course for the first big win of his career
ERIK VAN ROOYEN has never won a European Tour event but yesterday he looked every inch a champion.
The South African tops the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open leaderboard at Ballyliffin after a stunning third round of 66.
He started the day in a share of the lead and roared out of the traps with six birdies in a front nine of 29 to power ahead of the rest of the field.
A solid run of nine straight pars on the inward nine meant he finished the day at 14 under, four shots clear of Ryan Fox and Joakim Lagergren.
Former Masters champion Danny Willett recovered from an early double bogey to sign for a 69 and sit at nine under, a shot clear of Scot Russell Knox who carded a 68.
Van Rooyen has three top-10 finishes since graduating from the Challenge Tour last season but a victory at one of the European Tour’s biggest events would announce his arrival.
He said: “The mindset was ‘just keep going’. I wasn’t very much aware of my score or the situation.
“You sometimes get in a groove as a golfer where things just happen and you hit great shots and great putts and that’s what happened.
“It wasn’t different on the back nine – it’s just different holes, different conditions, different everything.
“I still played great, I wish I could have birdied the two par fives but I didn’t. Looking back, I think it was a good day.
“I would love to get a win but that’s 24 hours from now. I’ve been in this position before, maybe not in a Rolex Series but it’s golf. Go hit the ball, hit on the green and make the putt. We’ll do that tomorrow.”
Van Rooyen’s top 10 at the Joburg Open earned him a spot at The Open Championship and there are another three up for grabs this week.
Fox played in last year’s Open after finishing in a tie for fourth at this event and he is on course to punch his ticket again alongside Lagergren and Matthieu Pavon, who is at seven under with Raphael Jacquelin and Lee Westwood.
On a day of mixed conditions on the Irish north coast, playing partners Van Rooyen and Lagergren battled on the front nine but allowed Fox, Willett and Knox to creep into contention as they both parred their way home.
Much further down the field is Rory McIlroy – who finds himself at one under par.
The Northern Irishman admitted last night that his game is “stuck in neutral”.
Tournament host McIlroy could only manage a third round of 72 to end his slim chances of winning the title for a second time in three years.
The four-time major winner has been pleased with his long game all week but continued to struggle on the greens.
“I’m just sort of stuck in neutral this week and hopefully can finish off with a good round,” he said.
“I think it’s almost to the point where you need to start caring less about whether the putt goes in or not.”