Warren breathing down leaders’ necks following a brilliant 66 in Sweden
Paul Waring and Thomas Aiken shared the lead heading into the final round of the Nordea Masters but Scotland’s Marc Warren was hot on their heels in Gothenburg.
Englishman Waring entered a windy day three at Hills Golf Club in a share of the lead and that was where he ended it after a round of 69, with South African Aiken joining him on 12 under after a 67. Scot Warren – who won the first of his three European Tour titles at this event in 2006 – was three shots back alongside Dane Thorbjorn Olesen. Warren carded a 66 to sit a shot ahead of German Maximilian Kieffer and two clear of England’s Lee Slattery. There was disappointment for Warren’s fellow-countryman Scott Jamieson, who slumped to a 75 to sit six shots off the lead. Waring, who was two shots ahead of Aiken at the start of the day, found himself behind after the 35-year-old birdied the second, third and fifth but was back in a share of top spot thanks to a monster putt on the 10th. Aiken made a remarkable up-and-down for a birdie on the 12th and led by two when Waring found water on the same hole, before a hat-trick of Aiken bogeys from the 15th had the 33-year-old back in the lead. He led by two with a birdie on the 17th, but a two-shot swing on the last left the duo locked together heading into today. “I’d have snatched your hand off for a 69 coming in at the start of the day,” said Waring. “It’ll be nice to be in that situation, last group on a Sunday, it’s all you ever ask for.” Aiken said: “The conditions were a little tougher today the wind was up from the last two days and swirling as usual,” he said. “I started off really playing well and kept it going. Unfortunately, it didn’t finish quite the way I would have wanted to, but I was giving everything a go and trying to push and stretch those scores out.” Olesen has five top 15s in his last eight starts, including his maiden Rolex Series win at the Italian Open and knows a good finish in Gothenburg could go a long way to securing his place on the Ryder Cup team. The five-time European Tour winner bogeyed the first after finding sand but holed a very long putt on the fourth and put his tee-shot to eight feet on the par three next. A double-bogey after finding the water on the seventh dropped him back, but he holed a long putt on the eighth to turn in level par. Another long putt on the 11th was followed by a 10-footer on the 12th and, when the 28-year-old hit a stunning approach into the 16th, he was well positioned for today. The Dane is looking to overhaul Ian Poulter in the final automatic qualifying place in European captain Thomas Bjorn’s team to face the United States at Le Golf National next month. “I would love to be a couple of shots closer, but it looks like I still have a chance,” Olesen said. “So I’m going to go out there tomorrow and, hopefully, I can play like I did on the back nine yesterday and give myself a lot of chances.” Kieffer fired a 66 with seven birdies and three bogeys to sit a shot clear of Australian pair Adam Bland and Lucas Herbert, and England’s Lee Slattery. Italian Nino Bertasio, Frenchman Sebastien Gros, Jamieson and England’s Robert Rock completed the top 10 at six under.