SORDET SOARS TO LEAD

The 23-year-old who just turned professional after graduating from Texas Tech earlier this year highlighted his round with seven birdies with an eagle on the 14 th to overtake the lead from midway leader Donaldson following an overall 16-under-par 200.

 

 

 

“I just play as good as yesterday and I hit some really good shots and made pretty much every putt. I just stayed patient but honestly I had no idea I was nine-under at the end. I just play shot by shot. So nine-under I'm pretty happy about it,” said the French Monsieur, winner of a Challenge Tour in Northern Ireland this year.

 

 

 

The unheralded Sordet will have his biggest test ever today when he tees off for the first time in the leading fleet in his biggest tour event alongside Donaldson and defending champion Lee Westwood who were two and three stroke behind respectively.

 

 

 

“It feels pretty good (beating major winners and Ryder Cup stars). It's pretty much my dream to play with the top players in the field. I think I will do that tomorrow and hopefully I'll enjoy it and just play my own game,” added Sordet.

 

 

 

Donaldson proceeded through an uneven round with six birdies, three bogies and a double bogey on the 12 th to settle with a 71 and a three-day total of 14-under-par 202.

 

 

 

“I was cruising. Playing not great but doing enough until 12, which was a killer.  A double there and suddenly from feeling great, to ‘Hang on a minute. Where’s this going?’,” said Donaldson: “It hasn’t been what I wanted today but tomorrow’s another day and I just have to get off to a quick start. I’ve done enough to stay in the tournament – I’m still in it.”

 

 

 

After wobbling below the top 10 by midway stage, two-time winner Westwood finally got into his grove, shooting nine birdies against a bogey for a 64 and a total 13-under-par 203 to surge at third.

 

 

 

“I was confident and in control and it has got to do with being on a course which I’ve won twice before. I hit it close a lot today and I played with a new putter. It feels a lot more stable and I’m rolling the ball quite nicely with it.  I need a really low score to win a hat-trick,” said the Briton who also won the inaugural edition in 2011.

 

 

 

A stroke behind at lone fourth was 2015 European Tour rookie of the year winner Byeonghun An of South Korea, after a 204. Spaniard Sergio Garcia despite an eagle on the 11 th hole exchanged two birdies with two bogeys to settle with a 70 and a 205 which saw him share the fifth spot with two-time Major champion Martin Kaymer.

 

 

 

The German world No 27 and   last year’s runner up, was briefly sharing the lead with Donaldson with 14 under at the start of the back nine before quickly fading away due to  three bogeys.

 

 

 

“I didn’t really care where I was on the leaderboard. I just needed to concentrate on making birdies. But the winning score is not going to be 12, 13-under-par. So it’s more about giving yourself more chances and making more birdies. Because you got to shoot something like 18, 20-under-par in order to win. I was looking at 15 or 16 under today but that didn’t happen. Luckily I shot a low round yesterday to still keep me in contention,” said Kaymer who ended his round on even par.

 

 

 

Briton rising star Matthew Fitzpatrick, after a 72, came at eight with nine-under-par 207, followed by Thai No 2 Kiradech APhibarnrat who fired five birdies in the first eight holes but failed in several birdie attempts to settle with a 67 for an overall eight-under-par 208.

 

 

 

“If I could have holed those putts I might have jumped up to the top of the leader board or a couple of strokes behind and with a good chance tomorrow. I tried to put the pressure on the top players but I just couldn't hole the putts. I will try and make a big move tomorrow. Get a very low score by holing some putts,” said Kiradech the  two-time European Tour winner this year in China and Scotland.

 

 

 

Teen sensation Phachara Khongwatmai  and Panuphol Pittayarat hit total 209 for a tied 14 th along with Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland, Sunghoon Kang of South Korea, S.S.P Chawrasia of India and Asian Pacific Amateur champion Jin Cheng of China.

 

 

 

Thai No 1 Thongchai Jaidee, with a square par, was at tie 29 th with a total 212 while Chinnarat Phadungsil, the third placed finisher on Friday, stumbled to joint 46 th following a disastrous 79 and a total 214.