Henry in hunt for boost in Munich

IT has been a turbulent return to the European Tour for Scott Henry but after a dispiriting run of results, the Clydebank man has plenty to play for heading into the final round of the BMW International Open in Munich.

Having missed 14 cuts in a row, Henry hasn’t made a single penny in 2017 but the former Scottish Strokeplay champion is on course for a major financial fillip after barging his way into the top six after three rounds of the £1.7 million tournament. The 30-year-old, a winner on the Challenge Tour in 2012, posted a rousing six-under 66 for a nineunder total of 207 and sits four shots behind the joint leaders, Richard Bland and Sergio Garcia.

Henry, who is back on the main European circuit for the first time since 2013, had been level-par for his round after five holes but produced a profitable thrust with five birdies over his next seven holes.

Despite a bogey on the 15th, he finished with a flourish, making further gains at the 16th and 18th to keep himself in the title hunt.

Garcia, making his first appearance on European soil since his Masters triumph, posted 67 for a 13-under tally, as did Bland, whose round certainly didn’t mirror his surname.

He had a birdie from the water on 11, where he splashed out and knocked in a 20-footer, before holing his second shot for an eagle on the 13th. “I kind of ran pretty much into everything,” said Bland, ranked down in 176th place on Tour. “The con-

fidence has been a little fragile, but rounds like that certainly help.”

Garcia, who leads the Race to Dubai rankings, was happy enough with a round illuminated by three birdies in four holes around the turn. “It’s nice but it doesn’t mean that it’s finished,” he said. “We have a long day to come and I’ll try to keep being aggressive.”

In the unpaid game, England’s Harry Ellis mounted a late salvage operation to win the 122nd Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s. The 21-year-old was four down with

We have a long day to come but I’ll try to keep being aggressive

five holes to play in his showdown with Dylan Perry over the robust Sandwich links but took advantage of a stumbling finish that saw the Australian slip to damaging bogeys on four of those remaining holes including three in a row at 16, 17 and 18.

Ellis, who won the English Amateur Championship as a 16-year-old, completed his recovery by winning on the 38th hole as Perry racked up a doublebogey. The victory secured Ellis an invitation to The Open as well as a teetime for the 2018 Masters at Augusta.