SMITH AND HORSEY BOTH HAVE EYES ON ENDING THEIR WINLESS STREAKS
ISPS HANDA WORLD INVITATIONAL
English duo Jordan Smith and David Horsey will go head-to-head in today’s final round of the ISPS Handa World Invitational as they both look to end long winless runs in Northern Ireland.
Smith claimed his first and only victory on the European Tour four years and one day ago in Germany, and a bogey-free round of 65 in Ballymena moved him to 15-under and in pole position to win a second title.
For Horsey, it is nearly six years since he claimed his fourth Tour victory at the Made in Denmark, and he went one shot better than Smith to sit just one back with 18 holestoplay.
Smith carded a bogey-free 62 on day one at Galgorm Castle to set the early pace and while he could not maintain that scoring in round
two at Massereene, the return to the event’s primary course clearly suited him as he combined birdies at the first, second, ninth, 13th and last with 20-foot par saves at the third and fifth to climb back to the summit.
“I’ve been playing well around here for the two days that we’ve been here and I’m feeling good, swing is feeling good, so we’ll see how it goes ,” he said.
“Today we didn’t really do too much wrong at all, the putter saved me quite a few times, so hopefully it can do that tomorrow if needed to.”
Horsey had been bogey-free over days one and two and while he dropped his only shot of the week so far on the sixth, an excellent putting performance helped him secure birdies on the second, seventh, 10th, 11th, 13th, 15th and last.
“I didn’t play great, to be honest,” he said. “Didn’t hit it in the fairway enough the back nine but holed some nice putts and that’s what you’ve got to do. At the end of the
day it’s all about scoring.
“This is the place to be and to have a chance to win come Sunday is always nice. Go and play golf tomorrow, see what happens, and hopefully can do enough.”
New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier was at 11-under, a shot clear of Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura and Dutchman Darius Van Driel.
In the women’s event, Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn signed for a 66 to surge up the leaderboard and share top spot at 13-under with Americans Jennifer Kupcho and Emma Talley.
After eagling the third, the 22-year-old saw her momentum stall on the front nine but she came home in 30 with six birdies, making five-in-a-row from the ninth.
“I think my putter was working very well today,” said Anannarukarn, who secured a top 10 at last week’s Amundi Evian Championship. “I made a lot of good birdie putts out there and I’ve been hitting it really good.
“It’s still going to be 18 holes to go and I think I’m just going to focus on doing what I can do tomorrow.”
Overnight leader Talley had to fight back from a double-bogey after finding the water at the ninth to sign for a level par 73, and admitted she found it strange playing alongside her boyfriend,
who is Kupcho’s caddie.
“It was weird, I honestly didn’t like it,” she said. “Now I know what to expect, so I feel a lot better about doing it tomorrow.
“Today honestly threw me off. I was also very nervous. I haven’t been in this position in a long time and the fact that I kind of came back after the double on nine, I kind of got mad again and used that energy to make a few birdies in a row.”
Kupcho birdied her last two holes in a 70 to get into a share of the lead, with England’s Charley Hull falling five shots off the pace after a 74, with Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh a shot further back.