Mikko goes five clear as Scot Grant pays the penalty of Shot Clock
Mikko Korhonen put himself in pole position to claim his first European Tour title yesterday, after an entertaining third day of the inaugural Shot Clock Masters which saw players penalised for time violations for the first time.
The 37-year-old will take a commanding five-shot lead into today’s final round at Diamond Country Club in Austria after producing a sparkling 68 to stay bogey-free for the tournament so far.
However, it was not a day to remember for Scotland’s Grant Forrest.
The Craigielaw man became one of three players to pick up penalties after falling foul of the Shot Clock on his way to a three-over-par 75 to stand at level-par.
This week’s tournament is the first in professional golf to time each shot from every player in the field.
Players have 50 seconds to take their shot if they are first to play, including tee shots on par threes, or 40 seconds for tee shots on other holes or when second or third to play.
The first two days went by without a single time violation, but there were three yesterday, with Clemens Prader and Andrea Pavan joining Scot Forrest in being handed one-stroke penalties.
South African Justin Walters was Korhonen’s nearest challenger on eight-under-par after carding one birdie and a single bogey on day three.
Englishman David Horsey, Scotland’s Connor Syme and veteran Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez were among the large group in a tie for third on seven under.
Halfway leader Korhonen reached the turn in 33, after following up birdies at the first and third with another from six feet at the ninth.
The Finn then made it back-toback gains with a birdie at the 10th to get to 13-under before safely parring the remaining eight holes.
Korhonen said: “I always love to come here and it seems to be working well this year.
“I’m going to stick to the plan and execute it the best I can, so let’s see.”
Meanwhile, on the Challenge Tour, Stuart Manley holds the KPMG Trophy lead with one round to play after shooting a bogey-free six-under-par 65 at L’Empereur Golf & Country Club yesterday.
The Welshman began the day tied with Scotsman David Law at the top of the leaderboard, but after three pars to begin his round, he carded six birdies to reach 19-under-par, and now holds a two-shot lead over Sweden’s Anton Karlsson, who signed for a sevenunder 64.
Manley, who has made just one bogey this week, remained patient after a relatively slow start and was pleased to remain at the top of the pile after 54 holes.
“I’m pretty happy to back up my first two rounds,” he said. “After the first two rounds, it’s never easy with everyone trying to chase you down, so I’m very pleased.
“I got off to a bit of a slow start again and I three-putted number three, which was annoying, but I got a good birdie on four. I just stayed patient, picked off a few birdies here and there and kept it steady. I kept the bogeys off the card and ended up with a 65.
“I don’t think anyone really fired a low one at me. Karlsson obviously shot a 64 but he was coming from a little further back. I stayed patient and tried to plot my way around the golf course.
“I tried to make a few birdies and that’s all my game plan was really, just to keep going forward.”
The 39-year-old was the co-leader at the 56˚ Open de Portugal @ Morgado Golf Resort after three rounds, and also led the Andalucía Costa del Sol Match Play 9 at the end of Day Two, and he hopes to learn from the mistakes he made in those events to march towards victory today.
“I need to make it enjoyable I think. I need to go out there and focus on my game and go forward,” he said.
“I need to play the same kind of golf, try to make birdies, keep it in play, but just try to be positive and go out there with a good attitude, play my game and see what happens.”
It was a bad morning for GB&I on day two of the Curtis Cup at Quaker Ridge, New York.
Their American hosts whitewashed yesterday’s fourballs to take a 7-2 lead in the contest.
Olivia Mehaffey & Sophie Lamb lost 3&2 to Jennifer Kupcho & Kirsten Gillman, Alice Hewson & Annabell Fuller lost 2&1 to Mariel Galdiano & Lilia Vu, and Lily May Humphries & Shannon McWilliam lost 3&2 to Lucy Li & Andrea Lee.