FOCUS ON England’s Bland set to go head-to-head with Masterly Sergio
SERGIO GARCIA will battle it out for a third European Tour title of the season at the BMW International Open after the reigning Masters Champion carded a five-under-par 67 to join Richard Bland in a share of the lead heading into today’s final day.
The 37-year-old Spaniard has never claimed three victories in a single European Tour season but has been on superlative form in the 2017 campaign, winning the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February before making his Major breakthrough at Augusta National two months later.
Englishman Bland, who is searching for his first European Tour title, made a brilliant birdie from the water at the 11th before holing his approach shot from the 13th fairway for an eagle to jump to the top of the pile.
And after carding five birdies and two bogeys in his first 14 holes, Masters champion Garcia picked up further shots at the 15th and 17th to join Bland at the summit on 13-under-par.
Swede Joakim Lagergren was a single shot behind the co-leaders in third, with Thomas Detry and Andres Romero another two strokes back on 10 under.
Bland, who began the day a single shot behind halfway leaders Joel Stalter and Lagergren, bounced back from a bogey at the second with three straight gains from the fourth to reach the turn in 34.
And after hitting his third shot out of shallow water at the 11th, the 44-year-old rolled in his 20-foot birdie putt to get to 11-under.
Bland, playing in his 410th European Tour event, then made an eagle at the 13th before safely parring his final five holes to sign for a 67.
“I hit some really good shots out there and I hit a couple of scrappy ones coming in but my short game saved me,” Bland said.
“Got my feet wet and holed a second shot into 13. So yeah, kind of ran pretty much into everything.”
Garcia, who has been nursing a niggling back, said: “I think it was a good, solid day. Obviously I had a couple of little putts there at the end that looked like they were going to go in and didn’t, but overall, I felt like I played nicely.
“It was still a little bit breezy, so it wasn’t that easy, and these greens get tricky in the afternoon. So I’m definitely very happy, very pleased with the round.
“I think I obviously have a little more confidence since the Masters but I don’t think I’m a better player than I was before I won the green jacket. I’ve been fortunate enough to do many, many good things throughout my career before that, and it hasn’t changed.
“I’d love my back to be a little bit better obviously. The good thing is it doesn’t hurt me for the most part when I swing, which is great, but I do feel it as the day goes on from walking and kneeling down and getting up and stuff like that. It gets a little bit sore.
“It’s more of the same. I’ll just try to play solid like I’ve been playing every day, shoot another good score and see where that puts me.”