Erik leads the way but Matt will eye a big finish
Matthew Fitzpatrick made what could prove to be a precious eagle on his final hole yesterday, to sit just one shot back heading into today’s final round of the Scandinavian Invitation.
The Englishman started round three in Gothenburg with a twoshot lead and looked in control before he dropped three shots in as many holes from the 14th to slip back.
He was leapfrogged by Erik van Rooyen – who birdied five of his last six holes in a 64 that left him 13-under – and trailed by three as he stood on the 18th tee.
Van Rooyen said: “It was a little scrappy on the front, so I didn’t feel like it was going to be a 29 on the way back. I was quite surprised and really happy.”
But 2016 Ryder Cup star Fitzpatrick, whose younger brother, Alex, has been named in the GB&I team to take on the United States in next month’s Walker Cup match at Royal Liverpool’s Hoylake, holed a long putt from off the green at the closing par-five to get back within one of the South African leader, alongside Australian Wade Ormsby and China’s Wu Ashun.
“When I hit it (the putt on 18), I thought it was a good pace to have a chance distance wise and it got about three-quarters of the way and was actually on line and I thought: ‘This has got a really good chance’,” he said.
“Fortunately, I nailed it right in the middle.
“I always want to win. If I win now or later this year it will be winning five years in a row, so that is a goal for me to keep that up, but I will be going out there tomorrow trying to win.” Major champion Henrik Stenson, Welshman Jamie Donaldson and Ireland’s Gavin Moynihan were in a group
at 10-under, a shot clear of England’s Matthew Southgate.
Stephen Gallacher, the only Scot to make the cut, is seven shots off the lead on six-under.
Scotland’s Carly Booth shares the lead with Sanna Nuutinen heading into today’s final round of the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open at Karlstejn.
Booth fired a three-under-par 69 for a combined score of 137, seven-under-par, at the three-day event.
Finland’s Nuutinen was also on seven-under after a secondround 70.
England’s Hayley Davies and Kylie Henry of Scotland were one shot back of the leaders, along with France’s Anais Meyssonier and Slovenian amateur Pia Babnik.
English pair Charlotte Thompson and Eleanor Givens were two shots further back on four-under.
n(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 70) 197 – Erik Van Rooyen (Rsa) 65
68 64;
198 – Ashun Wu (Chn) 67 64 67, Wade Ormsby (Aus) 62 71 65, Matthew Fitzpatrick 64 65 69; 200 – Gavin Moynihan 69 67 64, Dean Burmester (Rsa) 66 72 62, Jamie Donaldson 69 68 63, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 69 62 69, Alexander Levy (Fra) 63 71 66;
201 – John Catlin (USA) 66 69 66, Matthew Southgate 65 72 64, Thomas Detry (Bel) 72 66 63; 202 – Jason Scrivener (Aus) 69 63 70, Sihwan Kim (Kor) 66 68 68, Victor Perez (Fra) 68 65 69, Zander Lombard (Rsa) 70 68 64;
203 – Ivan Cantero Gutierrez (Spa) 69 66 68, Andrew Johnston 70 70 63, Robert Rock 68 66 69.