Six at the top in Germany ready for a Sunday shoot-out in BMW
Englishmen Chris Paisley and Aaron Rai played themselves into a six-way tie for the lead on yesterday’s dramatic third day of the BMW International Open in Germany.
Scott Hend entered the day with a one-shot lead and, with calmer conditions seemingly presenting the chance for lower scoring on the outskirts of Cologne, it looked ominous when the Australian moved to seven-under-par and into a two-shot lead on the front nine.
The wind increased later in the day, however, and when Hend eventually signed for a one-overpar 73, Paisley and Rai had reeled him in, alongside home favourites Martin Kaymer and Maximilian Kieffer, and Dane Lucas Bjerregaard.
Bjerregaard was the first man to set the target as he equalled the lowest round of the week with a 67. Paisley soon joined him in the clubhouse, recovering from a front nine of 38 to come home in 30 with six birdies.
“I just need to keep doing what I’m doing this back nine,” said Paisley, who won his first European Tour title at the BMW SA Open hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni in January.
“Now that I’ve won before I know I can do it. Even before the win I believed I could do it, but you don’t actually know until you’ve done it.
“So to have that experience of playing really well under a lot of pressure, I know I can handle it so I’m just going to go out tomorrow and enjoy it and do the best I can,” he added.
Rai signed for a round of 71 along with two-time Major champion Kaymer and Kieffer, and will go in search of his first European Tour win today.
“It was a good steady round overall,” he said.
“Conditions were a little easier today, there wasn’t as much wind so you could make a score a little more compared to the last couple of days, but overall I was satisfied with how today went.”
Finn Mikko Korhonen and Chilean Nico Geyger were a shot off the lead, one clear of a group containing English pair Andy Sullivan and Matt Wallace, Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, defending champion Andres Romero and Ryder Cup star Thomas Pieters.