Sully threatens to disappear into the distance as he’s the lord of the Manor
Andy Sullivan is within touching distance of his first European Tour title in five years, as he extended his English Championship lead to five shots on yesterday’s day three at Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel and Country Club.
The 33-year-old is aiming to become the second Englishman in successive weeks to win on home soil in the UK Swing, after his compatriot Sam Horsfield claimed last week’s Hero Open title.
It looks like Sullivan will take some stopping, after he followed up his course-record secondround 62 with yesterday’s superb 64, which included two fantastic eagles on the front nine.
The 2016 Ryder Cup player’s round almost got off to the mostspectacular of starts when he was just four feet away from holing an albatross hole-in-one at the parfour first, instead tapping in for an opening eagle two.
He would pick up a second eagle at the par-five ninth and three birdies in the last five holes would earn him a seven-underpar round for a 21-under total.
A delighted Sullivan said: “I was just trying to focus on a shot at a time. I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but really trying to control what I could do out there today.
“I was swinging it well and just trying to give myself as many chances as possible. It was good fun out there.
“Four-under for the front nine the way the week has been going was pretty normal. Everyone has been going pretty low. It’s a golf course where you can’t rest on your laurels. You’ve still got to go after it and try to make birdies but also be sensible.
“I didn’t realise I was five in
front until I was coming up the last. I was just trying to make as many birdies as possible Just trying to control my situation and keep hitting the good golf shots that I have been hitting all week.
“Strategy will be the same as today. Just control what I can do. Can’t control anyone that is going to come up behind me. This golf course does offer a lot of birdies so I’m sure at some point someone is going to have a run at me. All I can do is control what I can do and see where we are at the end of it.”
He goes into today’s final day five strokes clear of his nearest challenger, Steven Brown, whose five-under-par 66 moved him to 16-under-par, while Rolex Series winner Brandon Stone is one of three players in a share of third on 15-under-par, alongside fellow South African Dean Burmester and Spain’s Adrian Otaegui.
Top Scot is Connor Syme after shooting a three-under-par 68 to be 10 shots back of Sullivan on 11-under.
LEADERBOARD
(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 71)
192 – Andy Sullivan 66 62 64;
197 – Steven Brown 66 65 66;
198 – Dean Burmester (Rsa) 66 63 69, Brandon Stone (Rsa) 65 66 67, Adrian Otaegui (Spa) 65 66 67;
199 – Jason Scrivener (Aus) 64 69 66, Laurie Canter 64 65 70, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 65 66 68, Martin Simonsen (Den) 65 68 66;
200 – Marcus Armitage 68 69 63, Jamie Donaldson 67 64 69, Dave Coupland 69 65 66, Ryan Fox (Nzl) 67 67 66, Jordan Smith 68 65 67, Wilco Nienaber (Rsa) 68 65 67;
201 – Ben Stow 70 67 64, Oscar Lengden (Swe) 65 66 70, Rasmus Hojgaard (Den) 65 67 69, Min Woo Lee (Aus) 64 67 70.
SELECTED OTHERS
202 – Connor Syme 65 69 68.
203 – Richie Ramsay 66 68 69, Marc Warren 68 68 67 70.
205 – Scott Jamieson 74 63 68, David Drysdale 65 70 7068,.
206 – Ewan Ferguson 67 70 69. 212 – David Law 68 68 76.