Willett has his eyes on the prize
Englishman in command at St Andrews
DANNY WILLETT is in line for a £580,000 birthday bonus today in the shape of the Dunhill Links Championship top prize.
The Englishman, who turns 34 at the Old Course, takes a three-shot lead into the final round in his quest to land an eighth European Tour title after taking route 66 at St Andrews to 14 under par yesterday.
Former Masters champion Willett also shares the lead in the team competition with his amateur partner Jimmy Dunne on 27 under par after being joined in top spot by Scot Ewen Ferguson and Brad Simpson, lead vocalist with The Vamps.
But Willett is far from home and dry with the quartet of two-time champion Tyrrell Hatton, Irish duo Shane Lowry and John Murphy and veteran Richard Bland waiting to pounce should the Sheffield player slip-up.
Hatton, who narrowly missed out a record-breaking hat-trick of wins when he finished joint second three years ago, posted a 71 while Lowry and Murphy signed for matching 67s.
But of the four players locked on 11 under par, Bland’s performance yesterday was by far the most impressive in horrible conditions that gave the event a winter feel.
At 48, Bland is the old man of the tournament. Yet, he played like a young thing to tame the most famous links in world golf.
It may have taken two decades and 478 attempts before he secured his maiden victory at the British Masters earlier this year to become the oldest first-time winner in European Tour history.
But he was unstoppable as he took on the elements and announced himself as a contender — despite confessing to preferring Carnoustie to the Old Course in terms of how both venues set-up.
He explained: ‘I’ve struggled to get my head round the Old Course. I am a visual player who likes to see what’s in front of me and I prefer Carnoustie.
‘I played in the St Andrews Links Trophy a few times as an amateur and as long as you keep out of traps, you can make a score.
‘But this is by far the lowest I’ve shot here, in probably the worst conditions, as well. You’ve got to enjoy it while it lasts.’
For all that he is a bigger fan of Carnoustie, Bland was also keen to stress: ‘It’s always a joy to play at the home of golf and I’m fortunate that I will be back here next year for The Open, which is a bucket-list thing for me.
‘For someone who is probably not going to be winning majors, I don’t think my career would be complete without playing an Open at St Andrews.’
Bland carded seven birdies, an eagle and a single bogey, but he reckoned he could just as easily have gone lower.
‘You always look back at the ones you missed and I had a good chance at four, from 10 feet — and a similar one at 10 as well,’ he said. ‘So I could have been 10 under through 10.
‘But I also holed a couple of bombs, including for my eagle at the fifth, where I hit a good nine iron that stayed on the front of green from where I holed out from 40 feet downhill.’
After opening with three consecutive birdies quickly followed by his eagle, Bland reached the turn in 30 after also picking up a shot at the ninth.
But he always knew the back nine would be much tougher and he was proved right, albeit he stumbled only once, at the 16th, where he gave back a shot.
‘Once I was through 12, I knew it was going to be a hard slog from there on in,’ he said.
‘To have birdied the 14th after taking a five iron for my third shot tells you it was becoming pretty bad by then. In fact, I played the really tough holes — 14, 15 and 16 — when the conditions were at their worst.
‘But I had the bonus of a good up and down at the 17th and then my birdie at the last. I just putted really well. It was one of those days when I had the pace and they went in.’
Bland added that winning after so many near-misses has transformed his mindset.
He explained: ‘It reinforces that belief you have in yourself that you can get across the line when you need to and my game has stayed at a good level since I won.’
Meanwhile, Challenge Tour star Ferguson is the best placed of the six remaining Scots after a thirdround 69 at Kingsbarns earned him a share of ninth spot on nine under.
The 25-year-old Glaswegian said: ‘Playing on home soil in front of family and friends keeps the intensity levels up, but I’m not really thinking about winning, as there are so many good players here.’
It was another good day at the office for Aberdeen’s Richie Ramsay, whose 70 at Carnoustie moved to seven under, three ahead of compatriot Calum Hill, who also posted 70 at the Old Course.
North Berwick-based Grant Forrest is on three-under following a 67 that tied him with Borders veteran David Drysdale (70), one of six surviving Scots.
But Ryder Cup player Stephen Gallacher’s hopes of replicating his 2004 victory were shattered by a 75 at Carnoustie that dropped him to two under.