Rock solid as the elements close in with a vengeance
ROBERT ROCK will take a two-shot lead into today’s final round of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club.
But it’s another Englishman who poses the biggest threat to Rock’s hopes of landing a third European Tour title.
Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood — the hero of France 2018 along with playing partner Francesco Molinari — handled the atrocious weather in East Lothian better than all the rest of the field yesterday.
Golf’s Rain Man posted a thirdround 69 to charge up the leaderboard from equal ual 13th overnight to joint second on seven under par. r.
And the bookies are re backing the man n from Southport to claim the largest chunk of the £5.5million prizepot in the event.
Rock (right) avoided his custom- ary third-round d meltdown to sign for a highly respectable le 72, all things considered. ed.
But Fleetwood, 29, has his sights set on a sixth title after plotting his way round in a straight head-to-head with the elements.
He’s been a model of consistency over the three days, carding rounds of 69, 68 and 69 to sit alongside compatriot Ian Poulter, Australian Wade Ormsby and Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult, who scored 73, 70 and 71, respectively.
Poulter was tied with Rock on nine under at one point, but four bogeys on the back nine, including one at the last, proved costly for the 44-year-old Ryder Cup talisman. Halfway leader Lucas Herbert, meanwhile, endured a nightmare 18 holes before signing for a 79 to fall completely out of contention.
Having begun the day six shots off the pace, Fleetwood overtook the majority of the leading pack. A couple of fluffed putts proved expensive, but balanced against those were two fine two-irons at the 12th and 14th where he bagged the fourth of five birdies.
He said: ‘They were my best shots of the day and they came at a good time after I’d missed a couple of putts that burnt the edge of the holes. Then finishing with a birdie from two feet felt really good.’ Fleetwood, currently ranked 17th in the world, added: ‘The rain was pretty much relentless and it was brutal at times. It didn’t stop for even half a second, it just got progressively worse and windier.
‘The golf shots I was hitting towards the end, I have to give myself a pat on the back, because I was really, really happy with how I performed coming in.’
Poulter reflected: ‘Today tested everything that you have. It was a massive mental challenge. But we’re in a lucky position to be here playing for a lot of money and a lot of guys have put in a lot of hard work to get us here, so we just need to dry off and go again tomorrow.
‘It’s a good thing that I’m in contention, but I lost count of what I was scoring on the back nine. I had no idea because I couldn’t keep my hands dry to write numbers on the scorecard.’
Oban’s Robert MacIntyre produced an eagle and four birdies for a fine 68, to move into the top 20 on four under par, the same as Glasgow’s Marc Warren (70) and North Berwick-based Grant Forrest who birdied the last for a 72.
Fellow Scots Connor Syme (71) and Scott Jamieson (73) are a shot behind, with another Glaswegian, Ewen Ferguson, on one under and Kirkcaldy’s Calum Hill one over after matching 73s.
But Craig Lee found the going tougher than when opening with a sizzling 65 followed by a solid 71.
The 43-year-old from Stirling is competing in his first Tour event for three years after calling time on his full-time career in 2017.
But despite carding five bogeys for a 76, Lee is entitled to feel satisfied with his gutsy effort.
Meanwhile, Belgian Ryder Cup star Nicolas Colsaerts has urged Medinah team-mate Paul Lawrie to return to The Open at St Andrews in 2022 so that the Aberdeen ace can get the send-off he deserves.
Lawrie, 51, has brought the curtain down on his European Tour career at the Renaissance where he missed the cut in his 620th.
But after acknowledging Lawrie’s achievement as one of a small group of players who gathered to applaud the 1999 Open champion at the end of his round in the absence of any spectators, Colsaerts urged him take a bow at the Old Course.
As a past champion, Lawrie is exempt from having to qualify until the age of 60, and Colsaerts said: ‘I think The Open is the one where he’ll think: “Oh, I might have another few rounds at St Andrews”.
‘Paul is a tough competitor, but a genuinely nice guy away from the course who is respected as a person and a player.
‘He’s certainly not underappreciated by those who know him and a lot of guys would trade their career for his. I certainly would.’