Jerome Lando Casanova moved into pole position to claim a maiden European Challenge Tour title at the Turkish Airlines Challenge, as a one under par third round of 71 in tough conditions moved the Frenchman one shot clear going into the final day.
On a day when the breeze swept in over Belek’s stunning National Golf Club and the pristine greens grew firmer under the blazing sun, sub-par rounds were at a premium.
While the majority of players in the final groups struggled to maintain their momentum, with several dropping out of the top ten on moving day, Lando Casanova stormed into the lead courtesy of a superb back nine performance.
Although the Frenchman followed a one over par front nine with a bogey at the 12th, he turned things around when he fired his second shot to three feet at the 13th for birdie before picking up another shot at the difficult 14th.
A final birdie at the par four 17th moved the Cannes native one shot clear and, although he found the bunker with his approach at the picturesque final hole, a clinical up and down kept him clear of Englishman Dave Coupland at the summit.
“The course is very tight and it was windier today than the other days,” said the 28 year old. “It was difficult to get close to the hole so I'm very happy with my score.
“I had some silly mistakes but I played really well at the end so I'm happy with my concentration. My game was the same as the previous days so I will try tomorrow to do that, but just make less mistakes.
“It’s always exciting to be leading a tournament. That is what we train for and we play every tournament hoping to be the leader so it will be exciting.
“I have been in this position on the Alps Tour and when I was an amateur but it’s my first time on the Challenge Tour, but it’s just another tournament so I just have to do the same as any other one – take it shot by shot and see where I am at the end.
“I need to stay really focussed on my strategy because you can’t relax on any holes here. You have to be focussed on every hole.
“It would be great to win. There are a lot of good players on the Challenge Tour so when you win a tournament like this, it means that you are a very good player.”
It will also be a first taste of the pressure of the final group for former England international amateur Coupland, who qualified for the Challenge Tour through the satellite EuroPro Tour last year.
The 28 year old is looking forward to battling it out for a maiden title in his rookie season but knows that the tournament is still wide open, with 15 players within three shots of the lead.
“It was fairly demanding out there today,” said the Lincolnshire native. “The pin positions were difficult so you really had to pick your spots.
“I hit a few loose shots but I'm quite happy with the outcome, especially getting a birdie at 18. That really put me right back in it.
“You really have to stay patient out there. Everyone struggled today looking at the scores so you just have to stay in the present and keep calm.
“It’s about playing the shots right tomorrow. The winner could come from anywhere so you have to just strike the shots and hole the putts. It’s my first time being in this position at this level so you just have to go out and enjoy it.”
Sweden’s Björn Åkesson, Jeppe Huldahl of Denmark, Italian Niccolo Quintarelli and Scot Wallace Booth were all a shot further back on one under par, while two-time European Tour winner Michael Jonzon and third round leader Oliver Farr were among the players three off the pace on level par.
