Callum eyes a maiden European Tour title
England’sCallum Shinkwin will take a share of the lead into today’s final round of the Oman Open as he goes in search of a first professional victory in Muscat.
The former Walker Cup star had held the lead on his own, but a bogey on the last in his third-round 66 dropped him back to 11-under-par and into a six-way tie alongside 2018 champion Joost Luiten, Finnish pair Mikko Korhonen and Sami Valimaki, South African Brandon Stone and Danish teenager Rasmus Hojgaard.
Shinkwin came close to a professional breakthrough at the 2017 Scottish Open. But again it was a bogey on the last that dropped him into a playoff, with eventual winner Rafa Cabrera Bello.
After a birdie on the par-five third at Al Mouj Golf, he made hat-tricks of gains from the sixth and 12th before a poor second on the last – where he also took six on Friday – led to his only bogey of the day.
“I played great,” Shinkwin said.
“I had a couple of good spells on the front nine and the back nine, holed a few putts, so overall my whole game has been very good.
“I just have to sort that last hole out and I should be doing quite well.
“My distance control has been very good and my putts haven’t been dropping. But my new caddie has been very helpful with the green reading so overall the game has been there, so it is just a matter of time.
“I will just do all the same things. It is more about how I am on the golf course as opposed to trying too hard.
“It is quite easy to go out there and force the situation, so just let it happen and hope for the best.”
Dutchman Luiten, who won the inaugural staging of this event two years ago, carded a bogey-free 67, while playing partner Stone was also blemishfree in posting the same score.
Luiten said: “I had a good start with the birdie at the first but after that I just didn’t hole any putts. I created a lot of chances but they just wouldn’t drop.
“The funny thing is I had putts that were further away on 11 and 12 and they went in which kick-started my round.
“It was always helps when you have won the tournament before but I think winning in general helps you go through the motions and the feeling of winning a tournament.
“I just need to make I play simple golf tomorrow.”
Hojgaard was the third member of that group and he was two-over for the day after bogeying the sixth and making a double on the second, but the 18-year-old fought back with five birdies in a 70.
Rookie Valimaki made eight birdies in a 64 that was the lowest round of the week so far, while countryman Korhonen was bogey-free in his 65.
Italy’s Guido Migliozzi was a shot off the lead after a 68, one clear of England’s Jordan Smith and three ahead of another Englishman in Robert Rock and Scot Stephen Gallacher, who had a disappointing back-nine as he came home in 40, to fall down the leaderboard into a tie for 12th.
Fellow Scots Grant Forrest and Connor Syme are tied for 27th on four-under-par, while Calum Hill heads into the final round on one-under.