CLASSY CANIZARES LEADS BY SIX
WITH A ROUND TO GO IN MOROCCO
REPORT BY EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Alejandro Cañizares will take a sizeable six-shot lead into the final round of the Trophée Hassan II as he chases a first European Tour title for eight years.
A third round of 69 at Golf du Palais Royal, Agadir on Morocco's breezy Atlantic coastline was enough for Cañizares to extend his overnight lead from one shot to six over playing partner Seve Benson of England, with Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen a further stroke back after his 67, which was the only bogey-free round of the day.
“It was tough today, especially on the front nine the pins were difficult to get close to and some even difficult to two-putt,” said Cañizares, whose only previous European Tour victory came in the Russian Open in 2006 on only his third start.
“It was a good round, I kept it going. I was a little not so sharp off the tee today, my misses were right quite a bit so I have something to work on, but overall I’m happy to shoot a round in the 60s and hopefully tomorrow I will keep it going.”
Asked if he felt the tournament was now his to lose, Cañizares added: “In this game anything can happen. Everybody saw that you can go low on this golf course, I have to keep moving forward and not look over my shoulder.”
Three-time Challenge Tour champion Benson, who carded a round of 74 to slip back to 11 under par, will now need to make up a six-stroke deficit if he is to secure his maiden European Tour title.
He said: “I struggled really today just to get the ball pin-high. But I was happy with the way I came back with five or six holes to go, so there are positives going into tomorrow.
“I always know that if I am not playing well that my best golf is just around the corner, so I was just trying to stay patient. Tomorrow is another day and I am still feeling confident.
“The key will be to try to get a couple of shots back on Alejandro on the front nine, because that is the most difficult part of the course.”
Derksen is in third place on ten under par after signing for a flawless round of 67, which was the joint-best-of-the-day.
THIRD ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
199 A Cañizares (Esp) 62 68 69 205 S Benson (Eng) 63 68 74
206 R Derksen (Ned) 69 70 67
208 P Waring (Eng) 72 69 67, R Karlsson (Swe) 71 67 70, S Kapur (Ind) 70 71 67, M Carlsson (Swe) 65 71 72, D Horsey (Eng) 72 64 72
209 R Bland (Eng) 69 70 70, M Warren (Sco) 66 73 70, W Ormsby (Aus) 68 71 70
210 J Campillo (Esp) 71 69 70, R Rock (Eng) 71 68 71, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 68 67 75
211 T Fleetwood (Eng) 66 72 73, G Bourdy (Fra) 68 69 74, A Levy (Fra) 70 72 69, R Ramsay (Sco) 72 71 68, A Sullivan (Eng) 66 73 72
212 R Davies (Wal) 68 73 71, R Green (Aus) 70 73 69, D Drysdale (Sco) 73 67 72, F Fritsch (Ger) 72 70 70, S Dodd (Wal) 68 73 71, G Coetzee (RSA) 69 69 74, D Willett (Eng) 72 70 70, C Arendell (USA) 65 71 76, S Kjeldsen (Den) 74 70 68
213 M Siem (Ger) 69 69 75, N Elvira (Esp) 70 75 68, J Morrison (Eng) 69 69 75, J Dantorp (Swe) 73 71 69, M Tullo (Chi) 74 69 70, T Lewis (Eng) 69 74 70, A Saddier (Fra) 72 72 69, L Bjerregaard (Den) 69 73 71, D Im (USA) 71 73 69
214 B Rumford (Aus) 73 71 70, M Crespi (Ita) 71 74 69, B Wiesberger (Aut) 71 73 70, R Fisher (Eng) 70 73 71, T Hatton (Eng) 73 72 69, M Hoey (Nir) 68 70 76, G Bhullar (Ind) 67 73 74, S Dyson (Eng) 73 70 71, G Stal (Fra) 73 71 70, D Brooks (Eng) 72 70 72
215 R Dinwiddie (Eng) 71 71 73, S Wakefield (Eng) 72 73 70, M Ilonen (Fin) 69 73 73,
216 J Lara (Esp) 72 73 71, E Goya (Arg) 73 69 74, D Howell (Eng) 72 69 75, G Havret (Fra) 72 71 73
217 F Calmels (Fra) 70 74 73, A Kaleka (Fra) 72 73 72, S Lowry (Irl) 72 72 73, E Molinari (Ita) 73 70 74, M Kieffer (Ger) 71 72 74, K Broberg (Swe) 75 70 72
218 R Kakko (Fin) 70 73 75, S Hansen (Den) 74 69 75
219 D McGrane (Irl) 70 73 76, D Stewart (Sco) 71 74 74
220 E De La Riva (Esp) 70 74 76, P Sjöland (Swe) 70 74 76, D Huizing (Ned) 74 70 76
221 R Jacquelin (Fra) 71 71 79
222 M Baldwin (Eng) 71 74 77
224 E Dubois (Fra) 68 75 81, P Whiteford (Sco) 67 78 79
EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
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