Aaron leaves them all trailing in his wake as he targets first Euro win
Rai takes a sixshot lead into today’s final round of the Hong Kong Open after extending his advantage yesterday.
The Englishman is closing in on his first European Tour title after following up Friday’s course-record 61 with a 68 to open up a gap between himself and compatriots Tommy Fleetwood and Matthew Fitzpatrick on 10-under-par.
However, it was not all plain sailing for Rai, who started day three with a four-shot lead, but saw it cut to just one shot at the turn after South Korean Hyowon Park made a fast start.
A string of bogeys saw Park’s challenge fade, though, and Rai upped his game on the back nine before finishing with a bogey.
The 23-year-old Rai, a native of Wolverhampton, said: “I certainly didn’t play bad. Maybe didn’t quite play as well as the first couple of days, but you always have those days during a four-round tournament. To be able to kind of get through it, stay patient, was a nice thing and to finish it twounder is a good score today.
“There are always new experiences in a round of 18 holes, so I’m sure today will be a new experience in that sense.
“But there is also a lot that you can take from things that have happened in the past and the way you’ve dealt with things, which hopefully puts you in a good position. But again, it’s still another 18 holes, so we’ll see.”
Fleetwood commented: “I did a lot of good stuff, and some not so good.
“As soon as you miss the fairway by one or two yards, it just becomes so difficult, and that’s why it’s so hard to attack the course and so hard to attack pins when they put them away.
“It’s a real test of patience, especially when I’ve not really looked at leaderboards, but know someone is a long way in front.” Former Masters Champion Sergio Garcia went round in 64, which included a brilliant eagle at the par-four 10th hole, to tie for fourth place alongside Jason Scrivener on nine-under-par.
Garcia said: “I got off to a great start with three birdies in a row on two, three and four. I also had a couple good chances on one and five that almost went in. But you know, I played solid and gave myself a lot of chances.”
Scotland’s David Drysdale and Robert Mcintyre are in a tie for 12th, 10 shots back from Rai. Grant Forrest is on two-under, while Liam Johnston sits on two-over-par, a shot ahead of David Law.
Meanwhile, Belgium’s Thomas Pieters and Thomas Detry entered the final round of the World Cup of Golf on 19-under-par, five shots ahead of Mexico’s Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz.
They sat alongside Italian pair Andrea Pavan and Renato Paratore and South Korea’s An Byeong-hun and Kim Si-woo on 14-under-par. Three countries were tied for fifth on 13-under – Alexander Bjork and Joakim Lagergren of Sweden, Australian pair Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman and England duo Tyrrell Hatton and Ian Poulter.
Scotland’s Russell Knox and Martin Laird and Irish pair Shane Lowry and Paul Dunne were two shots further back.
Anne Van Dam holds a three-shot lead heading into today’s final day of the weather-delayed Andalucia Open de Espana.
Birdies at the second, fourth and eighth holes during her third round lifted her to nine-under-par overall before play was halted at the 11th because of darkness. Defending champion and home favourite, Azahara Munoz, was unable to make any inroads to her six-under score.
Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew sat on five-under after 11 holes, while Women’s British Open champion Georgia Hall was a shot further back after 12 holes.
n