Matthew Fitzpatrick has it all to do if he is to claim the final automatic qualifying spot in the Ryder Cup Team despite carding an impressive 66 on day three at the Made in Denmark.
Incumbent Thorbjørn Olesen came into the week at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club knowing a two-way tie for seventh or better would guarantee his place in France, with Fitzpatrick needing a victory and Olesen to stumble.
The Dane carded a 67 on Saturday to surge up the leaderboard but Fitzpatrick went one better to sit three shots ahead of Olesen and six behind leader Lee Westwood.
Olesen started the day right on the cut line and while he dropped a shot on the second, he made five birdies in six holes from the seventh and when he spun an approach to seven feet on the 16th, he was ahead of Fitzpatrick.
That would not last for long as Fitzpatrick birdied the second, fifth and eighth to turn in 33 and catch him, before further birdies on the tenth, 12th and 13th then gave the Englishman renewed hope.
Eddie Pepperell could also qualify with a victory but he carded a 74 to sit at three under.
Here, we take a look at what the contenders had to say after three days in Denmark.
Thorbjørn Olesen (67, -7)
“I felt pretty comfortable. It was the same yesterday as well. I’m still missing a little bit with the driver but today was definitely better than the first two days. I have a couple of bad shots to the right with the driver and I am probably hitting two or three of those per round at the moment which is kind of costing me a little but hopefully I can sort that out on the range this afternoon. I was just trying to move through the field today and hopefully get into a position where I can have a chance of a good result on Sunday. I’m honestly just thinking about Made in Denmark. I think I have had too many of these questions on the Ryder Cup - all I am thinking about is Made in Denmark.”
Matthew Fitzpatrick (66, -10)
“It was really good. I obviously got off to a pretty fast start - four under through ten - missed a good chance on 11 and then birdied my next two. If it was perfect I would have holed two more putts and I think that's as much as I could have got out of the round but 66 is good. I know that I've just got to go out there and win and make lots of birdies but at the same time I feel like just playing well in general is just what I need to do anyway. Not just talking about Ryder Cup, just for my season alone. I feel like I have played well and just not strung it all together so whether it's this week, next week, two weeks, it's nice to get something going again and get myself up there. A 62 tomorrow would be nice - it's doable.”
Eddie Pepperell (74, -3)
“It was falling day for me. I hit the ball pretty well on the range, probably the best I've hit it. I didn't hit it great off the tee out there but I did feel like I hit my irons a lot better but on the greens - once I set foot on them I don't know what it was like watching but it wasn't professional golf. I would have needed a certain set of circumstances this week which don't look like they're going to happen but when I consider two years ago where I was at to here, it's chalk and cheese, really. This isn't really pressure, this is a pleasure compared to where I was at two years ago. I enjoy playing well and I hate playing badly so being a golfer and being a perfectionist I wouldn't say I find it fun. The good days are good. This is what golf is all about and sport at the highest level is - mostly frustrating and occasionally fantastic. You've just got to make sure you live somewhere in between and keep breathing.”
