Scot Doherty to go head-to-head with home star Guerrier in St Omer
SCOTLAND’S Jack Doherty will head into today’s final round of the Hauts de France Golf Open with a share of the lead after carding a four-under-par 67 to sit alongside Frenchman Julien Guerrier at the top of the leaderboard.
The home favourite started the day four shots back in St Omer, but he reduced the deficit to just one shot after the front nine by making four birdies and a bogey to reach the turn in 33.
After another gain at the 10th the 31-year-old took the lead for the first time this week, and the former Amateur Champion went on to set the clubhouse target after a further birdie and a bogey.
Guerrier’s six-under-par total was later matched by Doherty, who also signed for a four underpar-score of 67, and the Frenchman believes luck will be a factor in deciding today’s winner.
“When you are in Saint Omer anything can happen,” said Guerrier, who has played in the last eight European Challenge Tour tournaments held at Aa Saint Omer Golf Club.
“You have to stay patient and make sure you are calm on the course because it is easy to lose your head when you make bogey here.
“The key for whoever is going
to win tomorrow is just to stay patient.”
One shot behind Guerrier and Doherty are Portugal’s Ricardo Santos, Spain’s Scott Fernandez and Italians Lorenzo Gagli and Filippo Bergamaschi, who are all five under par.
Overnight co-leader Christopher Mivis is two off the pace alongside Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, Chile’s Mark Tullo and the Netherlands’ Daan Huizing, who followed up his course record-breaking second round of 62 with a two- under-par 69 in northern France.
LEONA MAGUIRE yesterday won The 114th Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship at Pyle & Kenfig, defeating Spain’s Ainhoa Olarra 3&2 in the 18-hole final on the South Wales coast to seal the biggest amateur win of her career.
The 22-year-old, from County Cavan, will now take her place in US Women’s Open next month and the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Kingsbarns in August, when she will aim to win the Smyth Salver as the low amateur for a second time after doing so at Woburn last year.
Maguire, who is No. 1 in the women’s world amateur rankings, becomes the first Irishwoman to win the championship since Stephanie Meadow defeated Spain’s Rocio Sanchez Lobato 4&3 at Carnoustie in 2012.