Syme chases first European Tour title

SCOTLAND’S Connor Syme followed up the lowest round of his professional c areer by matching the second best as he put himself in a strong position to win a first European Tour t i t l e at t he Gran Canaria Lopesan Open.

The 25-year-old equalled the course record with a 61 on day two and took just one more blow in round three to move to 16 under and sit two shots behind leader Garrick Higgo.

Syme won on the Challenge Tour in 2019 but has yet to taste victory on a top-tier circuit and was delighted to be in the mix after a

71.

“I’ve been playing very well, to be honest, of late and it was a bit of a surprise to start so slowly in the first round,” he said. “I didn’t feel like I did too much different the next day when I shot such a good score. It was very, very low obviously and it’s just amazing to back it up with another very low one, I’m very happy.

“It’s obviously a good position and gives me a chance going into tomorrow.”

The former Walker Cup player made a slow start on a low-scoring course in round three as he turned in 32 with birdies on the second and fourth but better was to come. He holed his second for an eagle at the 10th and disappointing opening followed that with a hat-trick of birdies before responding to a bogey on the 15th with a chip-in gain on the next.

A seventh birdie of the day on the par-five last then had him alongside Frenchman Matthieu Pavon and Austrian Matthias Schwab but they will all have to catch Higgo.

The South African made three birdies and an eagle in his opening four holes to fly up the leaderboard and picked up another shot on the 10th before giving it straight back. Further birdies on the 14th and 18th then left him at 18 under after a 63.

England’s Sam Horsfield was at 15 under, a shot clear of Welsh pair Jamie Donaldson and Rhys Enoch.