GOLF – THORBJORN Olesen carded a sublime third-round 63 to take a commanding lead into the final day of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship as the Dane reached 22 under par yesterday at Al Hamra Golf Club. The seven-time DP World Tour winner finished day three four shots clear of compatriot Rasmus Hojgaard, with France’s Frederic Lacroix two further back in third.
Olesen began the day a shot off the lead but came storming out the blocks with birdies at the first, third, fifth and sixth. A missed short putt on the seventh cost the 34-year-old a bogey but he tapped in for another gain at the par-five eighth to turn in 32.
Approaches to seven feet on the 10th and six feet on the 12th yielded further gains before he drained a 20-footer on the 13th and tapped in for a third birdie of the week on the par-five next.
Olesen had to visit the drop zone after a wayward second at the last but got up-and-down for a 10th birdie of the day to establish a dominant lead.
Olesen had carded a brilliant 62 on Friday but said after his round: “I thought today I played a lot better (than yesterday).
“I hit a lot more fairways today, and that gave me the chance to be aggressive with the second shots. It was nice to find so many fairways. It was a great round again.”
Hojgaard mixed five birdies with a single bogey in his 68, while Lacroix made three birdies and an eagle in an outward 31 before signing for a 66.
“I played okay today,” said Hojgaard. “A couple of bad shots here and there. I struggled to find the pace on the greens. I felt like they were slower today. That annoyed me a bit out there, spending so much energy on trying to figure that out. It was nice to make some birdies on the back nine and I feel like I’m in contention.”
South Africa’s Brandon Stone, Dane Marcus Helligkilde and Spain’s Angel Hidalgo share fourth on 15 under.
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