Share

Porteous poised at Czech Masters

Cape Town - Lee Slattery fired an excellent 67 to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the D+D REAL Czech Masters after a marathon day at Albatross Golf Resort.

According to the official European Tour website, the Englishman shot an brilliant 65 on day two in tough conditions before the course became flooded, leaving many of his competitors with over 30 holes to play on Saturday.

He was one shot ahead at the start of the day but found himself three behind countryman Chris Hanson by the time round three was completed.

Hanson did lead by four at one point but as he and some of the rest of the field began to fatigue, Slattery put his foot on the pedal, moving to 12-under and the 54-hole lead for the fourth time in his European Tour career.

Both of his previous European Tour victories came after leading after three rounds and win number three could be part of a double celebration, with his wife over a week overdue with the couple's second child.

South African Haydn Porteous played 33 holes on Saturday, but battled well to shoot a third-round 67 and sit at 10-under.

Swede Pontus Widegren was then at eight under, a shot clear of Hanson and fellow Englishman Jonathan Thomson who was making his European Tour debut.

Slattery found the green in two at the par five first for an opening birdie but with Hanson starting with two gains, he was four shots off the lead.

But as Hanson fell back, Slattery pushed on, putting his approach at the sixth to six feet and another excellent iron into the ninth gave him the lead at the turn.

A brilliant tee-shot into the par three 13th moved the 39 year old to 11 under and a fifth birdie of the day from six feet on the 15th put him in control.

Porteous made a birdie-birdie start and a brilliant tee-shot into the par three seventh had him at eight under. He got on the par five tenth in two and when he holed from eight feet on the 12th he was in a share of the lead.

Slattery then pulled away and a Porteous bogey on the 17th meant the lead was three shots but the 23 year old holed a 10-footer on the last for a birdie in the fading light.

Widegren birdied the first and sixth and when the Qualifying School graduate hit a brilliant second out of the bunker into the eighth, he was eight under. He then went bogey-birdie on the 14th and 15th on the way home.

Hanson holed some clutch putts for par on the back nine but also made two doubles and three bogeys in a 75.

Thomson - a tournament invite - gave back gains on the eighth and tenth with a double-bogey on the 11th but then birdied four of his next five in a 68.

English duo James Morrison and Callum Shinkwin, last week's winner Julian Suri, Austrian Martin Wiegele and Dane Jeff Winther were then all at six under.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1473 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE