Share

Storm shares KLM Open lead

Hilversum - England's Graeme Storm let slip a three-stroke overnight lead to end Saturday's third round at the KLM Open in a tie at the top with Pablo Larrazabal of Argentina, Scotland's Scott Jamieson and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain.

The big Englishman stretched his lead to five at one point with birdies at the seventh, 10th and 12th and it looked briefly like the rest were playing for second place.

But he dropped his first shot of the day on the 13th and a a wayward drive at the next led to another bogey as he had to settle for a one-under 69.

Larrazabal meanwhile birdied five of his last six holes en route to a 64 - the equal best round of the day - while Jamieson and Fernandez-Castao each picked up shots on 17 and 18 to shoot 66s.

Peter Hanson, part of Europe's Ryder Cup Team and another player to birdie the final two, was one off the pace at 11 under, with an absorbing final day in prospect.

Storm, 114th on The Race to Dubai, attempted to remain positive, despite losing his healthy lead.

"I had two bad swings on 13 and 14," he said. "I had the tournament in the palm of my hand before that, but it should be a good day tomorrow. I've only had two bogeys in 54 holes, which is quite impressive.

"It's difficult leading like I was. I have a lot of things on my mind at the moment with keeping my card, so I'm just looking at getting the best result I can.

"Tomorrow, keeping my (European Tour) card will be in the back of my mind, but I have given myself the chance to win and if I am in there with six holes to go I will go for it."

Larrazabal was delighted with his late charge.

"I played great, on the front nine as well as the back," said the Spaniard.

"I will attack whatever I can attack tomorrow. I've not been in contention for a while, so I am going to have some fun and try to compete for the title."

Scotland's Richie Ramsay and Henrik Stenson of Sweden matched Larrazabal's 64 to climb into contention.

Ramsay, seeking back to back wins after his victory in last week's European Masters, and Danny Willett ended the day nine under, with Stenson one worse off alongside Nicolas Colsaerts, who carded a 67.

str/ak/lp12

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 ()
loading... Live
Ulster 38
Benetton 27
loading... Live
Scarlets 20
Sharks 32
Voting Booth
Should the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
67% - 941 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
33% - 459 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