Wood shows a Dutch of class in KLM Open with blistering third-round 65
Chris Wood will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the KLM Open after an excellent late burst of scoring on day three in Holland.
The Englishman came home in 31 to sign for a 65 and edge ahead of countryman Jonathan Thomson, Japan’s Hideto Tanihara and China’s Wu Ashun. The 2016 Ryder Cup star has three wins on the European Tour but a fourth looked a long way off as he bogeyed the second to sit six shots behind early leader Thomson in Spijk.
A lay-up and an excellent pitch into the par-five sixth started the comeback and he played the 13th, 15th and last in similar fashion, adding further birdies on the seventh, 10th and 12th to get his nose in front.
“I’m pleasantly surprised,” he said. “My target was 15 under for the tournament so I’m going to look a little bit differently at that now. I’ll take another 65 tomorrow if you offer it me now.” Thomson made a blistering start with four birdies in his first six holes but bogeys on the tenth and 13th stalled his momentum before he hit back with a gain on the 15th.
Tanihara was bogey-free as he equalled the lowest round of the week with a 63, while overnight leader Wu needed two birdies in his last five holes to fire a levelpar 71.
England’s Richard Mcevoy was at 11 under after a 64, a shot clear of Irish three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington and Scot David Drysdale.
Drysdale bogeyed the eighth and ninth to turn in 36 but bounced back brilliantly with birdies on the 11th, 13th and 14th in a 69.
Belgian Thomas Detry matched Tanihara’s 63 to sit at nine under.
■ Gary Orr is in pole position to capture his first Staysure Tour title as he prepares to take a three-stroke lead into today’s final round of the Scottish Senior Open at Craigielaw Golf Club. The Scotsman, from Helensburgh, started the day two strokes behind overnight leader Stephen Dodd but carded a scintillating six-under-par round of 65 on the East Lothian coast. He is bidding to become the first home winner of the Scottish Senior Open since Sam Torrance in 2006.
He birdied two of his first four holes and then made a further gain on the ninth hole to make the turn in three-under-par.
Consecutive birdies followed on the 13th and 14th holes before tapping in for his sixth of the day on the 18th to move two strokes clear of David Shacklady.
“I was delighted with my birdie on 18 today,” said Orr after yesterday’s round.
“It was nice to finish with that on the last. I putted well. There were a few loose shots but I made a lot of great recovery shots to keep my score ticking over.
“I missed a couple of par threes, so I made a couple of good up and downs. The conditions were a lot better today, it was much more scoreable and there were a lot of birdies out there if you made the right shots.
“It’ll be a difficult day tomorrow. It’s nice being in position but you can’t take anything for granted in this game. I still have to shoot a solid round but, if it is bad, it will take a lot for someone to go low and come out of nowhere.”
■ Sean Crocker shot a 10-underpar 62 to set a new course record at Zhailjau Golf Resort and will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Kazakhstan Open presented by ERG.
Playing with American Crocker in today’s final round will be Scotland’s Liam Johnston, who carded an impressive 64 on day three and sits on 19-under-par for the tournament.