Matt’s sights on that maiden win
Englishman Matthew Baldwin fired four birdies in the first 13 holes of his third round to join Kristian Krogh Johannessen at the top of the SDC Championship leaderboard before play was suspended due to darkness last evening.
Baldwin had been four shots off the pace at the halfway stage but made back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth before picking up further shots on the 10th and 13th to grab a share of the lead on 11-under-par.
The 37-year-old, who is searching for his maiden DP World Tour title in South Africa this week, narrowly missed his birdie try on the 14th before fading light brought a halt to proceedings.
Norwegian Johannessen had held a three-shot lead at the tournament’s midway point after finishing his second round with an eagle, five birdies and one bogey yesterday morning, as Friday’s afternoon starters were forced to play catch-up following a weatheraffected second day.
He stretched his advantage to five strokes early in the third round after picking up a birdie at the second to reach 12-under.
But the 28-year-old gave the shot back at the fourth, and even though he birdied the par-three seventh, a bogey on the 11th saw his lead reduced to a single stroke as the daylight began to disappear.
With Baldwin sending his approach shot at the 13th to within tap-in range before making a birdie there, Johannessen had company at the top.
Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson sits in a tie for ninth at six-under, with Conor Syme two shots worse off in a share of 25th.
Richie Ramsay is at two-under in 44th heading into today’s final day.
France’s Pauline Roussin fired a sensational eight-under-par round of 64 to seal a four-shot victory at the Aramco Team Series Singapore.
It was a second LET title for Roussin, who won the 2021 Didriksons Skatfo Open just weeks after turning professional.
American Danielle Kang finished second at Laguna National after a final round of 68 which included an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys.
World No. 1 Lydia Ko ended the week in third place at 10-under.
Scotland’s Michele Thomson took a share of seventh spot alongside Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab and England’s Eleanor Givens on six-under-par