Westwood sights on title following birdie blitz at Dutch Open
LEE WESTWOOD remains in contention for a first European Tour title since 2014 at the KLM Open after a third-round 67 left him three behind leader Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
Former world No.1 Westwood – down at 61st in the rankings after a barren couple of years – carded five birdies against a single bogey, with the highlight a 20-foot putt made from off the green at the 11th.
“I’m hitting it very consistently and feel like I’ve got pretty good control of my swing,” said Westwood.
“I haven’t been in contention that much recently, so it’s nice to get in there and have a chance and I’m sure I’ll remember what to do when the time comes.”
At 11-under-par, the Ryder Cup star is in a share of fourth, with Aphibarnrat leading the way after a birdie from 25 feet on the 18th gave him a round of 66 and 14-under total.
France’s Romain Wattel shot a flawless 64 to lie second on 13 under, with his compatriot and overnight leader Joel Stalter a shot further back after signing for a 69.
Thailand’s Aphibarnrat led for much of the third round but missed a string of birdie chances on the way in at The Dutch and seemed to have paid the price for his profligacy when he was caught by Wattel.
A shot behind halfway leaders Joakim Lagergren and Stalter once the second round was completed yesterday morning, Aphibarnrat made four birdies in an outward 31 to take the outright lead.
Wattel had already made five birdies when he almost holed his tee shot to the 14th, and the subsequent birdie and a gain from eight feet at the 16th drew him level, only for Aphibarnrat to strike at the last to regain the initiative heading into the final round.
Aphibarnrat highlighted his work on the greens as the foundation for his round.
He said: “I didn’t drop any shots which is so important when you are trying to get to the top of the leaderboard.
“My putting was brilliant on the front nine and that save me a few shots. Overall, I am feeling good and I just need to try and stick to my game plan.
“If I can play the same then I will have a great chance to win.
“It’s always nice to be the last group in the final round and especially here with so many fans out here supporting us. This is my first trip to The Netherlands and I am loving it.
“The amount of people out here, even though the weather has been terrible, shows how much. It’s a pleasure to play in front of crowds like that and I just want to thank all the fans for their support.”
Wattel, meanwhile, was well pleased with his 64.
He said: “I’m delighted, I played very good. I just tried to play my own game and I made some good putts which is what I did. That was my lowest round of the season and it has come at a good time because I need to start getting some good results.”