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A GOLFING FEAST OF STEPHEN: 10
UNDER PAR FOR 10 HOLES
REPORT FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
The joint lowest back nine to par in European Tour history has put Stephen Gallacher in pole position to successfully defend his Omega Dubai Desert Classic title.
The Bathgate Scot, nephew of Bernard Gallacher, who started the day on seven under par, was finding the going tough in the early stages of day three, but blitzed his next ten holes in ten under par to sign for a round of 63 and finish two shots clear of Rory McIlroy on 16 under par.
By coming home in nine under par 28, he equalled the lowest score to par set first by Spaniard José Maria Cañizares in the 1978 Swiss Open, and later matched by Swede Joakim Haeggman in the 1997 Alfred Dunhill Cup and England’s Simon Khan at the 2004 Celtic Manor Wales Open.
Gallacher will have the chance to create yet more history on the final day, when he will bid to become the first player to successfully defend the Omega Dubai Desert Classic title.
He said: “I don’t know where to start. I struggled at the start to be honest. I was a bit ropey for the first three or four holes. Then I hit a good shot into the seventh, but missed the putt.
“I bogeyed eight, and was feeling out of sorts but then I hit a beautiful drive and seven iron to about three feet on the ninth, and from then on, I just never missed a shot. It’s the best back nine I’ve had here, by far.”
Gallacher will be joined in the final group by McIlroy, who signed for a 69 for a 14 under par aggregate total.
The Northern Irishman opened with a bogey but bounced back immediately with a second hole birdie followed by an eagle at the next.
He gave a shot back at the sixth, but after rallying with a brace of birdies on the back nine, a second career victory in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic is well within reach for the World Number Seven.
“What Stevie [Gallacher] did was phenomenal. I didn’t know he was ten under for the last ten holes. That’s some golf right there, especially as you’ve got some tough holes on the back nine. So that’s very, very impressive.”
McIlroy’s playing partner Brooks Koepka had looked like mounting a strong challenge after covering his first 13 holes in four under par, but back-to-back bogeys from the 14th stalled his momentum, and he had to settle for a round of 70 and a 12 under par aggregate total. Koepka shares third place with another of The European Tour’s rising stars, Thorbjørn Olesen, who surged through the field courtesy of a round of 65.
Tiger Woods will require a miraculous final round if he is to prevail for a third time after the World No. 1 signed for a round of 72 which left him in a tie for 37th place on five under par.
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Par 216 (3x72)
200 S Gallacher (Sco) 66 71 63
202 R McIlroy (NIr) 63 70 69
204 B Koepka (USA) 69 65 70; T Olesen (Den) 71 68 65
205 E Molinari (Ita) 65 72 68; R Rock (Eng) 67 70 68; S Webster (Eng) 71 70 64
206 R Kakko (Fin) 69 69 68
207 D Fichardt (RSA) 69 72 66; D Van Der Walt (RSA) 72 70 65; E Grillo (Arg) 71 67 69; J Donaldson (Wal) 69 68 70; D McGrane (Irl) 66 70 71
208 T Jaidee (Tha) 68 69 71; B Wiesberger (Aut) 70 70 68; P Waring (Eng) 70 70 68; R Wattel (Fra) 68 73 67; R Sterne (RSA) 66 73 69
209 J Luiten (Ned) 70 69 70; C Montgomerie (Sco) 70 70 69; P Casey (Eng) 70 72 67; A Wall (Eng) 74 66 69; F Molinari (Ita) 69 69 71; M Crespi (Ita) 69 71 69; S Hansen (Den) 67 71 71; M Baldwin (Eng) 66 74 69; D Willett (Eng) 71 65 73; R Jacquelin (Fra) 69 71 69
210 C Doak (Sco) 71 68 71; T Björn (Den) 72 70 68; J Van Zyl (RSA) 71 68 71; S Kjeldsen (Den) 68 71 71; H Otto (RSA) 68 73 69; M Madsen (Den) 71 67 72; B Rumford (Aus) 69 70 71; J Campillo (Esp) 68 72 70
211 S Kim (SKor) 70 69 72; P Lawrie (Sco) 68 71 72; T Woods (USA) 68 73 70; R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 71 69 71; M Ilonen (Fin) 69 72 70; S Hend (Aus) 69 72 70; L Slattery (Eng) 70 71 70; R Karlsson (Swe) 73 67 71; P Larrazábal (Esp) 74 68 69; S Dyson (Eng) 69 69 73
212 M Siem (Ger) 72 67 73; E De La Riva (Esp) 70 70 72; M Carlsson (Swe) 69 69 74; F Zanotti (Par) 72 70 70; S Kapur (Ind) 72 70 70; S Jamieson (Sco) 73 69 70; S Benson (Eng) 72 70 70; M Kieffer (Ger) 71 70 71; S Noh (SKor) 69 72 71; C Wood (Eng) 73 69 70; G Bourdy (Fra) 71 68 73; H Stenson (Swe) 70 67 75; J Walters (RSA) 69 68 75
213 J Quesne (Fra) 66 70 77; K Broberg (Swe) 71 69 73
214 G Havret (Fra) 70 72 72; F Couples (USA) 70 71 73
215 C Del Moral (Esp) 70 72 73; G Stal (Fra) 74 68 73; A Quiros (Esp) 69 72 74; M Hoey (NIr) 70 72 73; A Cañizares (Esp) 74 67 74
217 A Levy (Fra) 69 72 76; J Lima (Por) 71 71 75
218 T Lewis (Eng) 71 69 78
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONSPublished by scottishgolfview.com