Ernie Els took a step closer to becoming the third South African winner in four weeks on The European Tour International Schedule when he increased his lead to four shots going into the final round of the Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne.
The 32 year old double US Open Champion started the day three shots clear of the field but a third round 69, for a 14 under par total of 202, moved him four clear of Peter O’Malley who carded a 70 and six ahead of defending champion Michael Campbell, David Howell, Barry Lane, Stephen Leaney and Richard Lee.
Ironically Els’ stranglehold on a tournament he has led from the beginning, looked like loosening when at one stage in the early part of the third round, Leaney headed him.
But the three time winner on The European Tour fell back with successive bogeys on the 11th and 12th as Els carded a vital eagle three on the 483 yard tenth hole to get to 14 under par and regain the lead he did not relinquish.
Despite his strong position Els, who has improved from 13th to ninth to fourth in his last three tournaments, admitted following in the footsteps of recent South African winners on The European Tour - Tim Clark (Bell’s South African Open) and Retief Goosen (Johnnie Walker Classic) - was by no means a foregone conclusion.
“I don’t know if I’m all that comfortable” he said, “You’ve got to be careful when the wind’s blowing out there. I had a bit of a shaky start but after the sixth I really thought I played okay.”
Nearest challenger O’Malley, the 2001 Compass Group English Open champion, moved into second place on his own after being the only one of the four players who started the day in a tie for second to break par.
The Australian’s round was consistent to begin with, reaching the tenth tee in level par. But birdies on the tenth, 12th and 14th got the man from New South Wales going and if it was not for a bogey on the 17th and a missed birdie putt on the last, he could have finished closer to Els.
Of the five players in a tie for third on 208, one of the most positive moves was made by defending champion Michael Campbell, whose 68 kept alive his hopes of becoming only the fifth player in European Tour history to win a the title three years in a row.
Campbell’s round, equalled by Barry Lane, was the best of the day in conditions markedly different from the first two days when Els carded a 64 on Thursday and Richard Lee posted a course record 62 on Friday. The main difference was a freshening breeze in the afternoon.
Elsewhere Els’s playing partner Greg Norman, battled his way through the early holes until birdies on the sixth, ninth and tenth got him to ten under par. But ‘The Great White Shark’ struggled in the breeze and a bogey on the 12th seemed to deflate him. He finished seven under, equal eighth with Robert Allenby, Nick Faldo, Peter Fowler, Philip Golding and Adam Scott .
Faldo rediscovered his form from Thursday to shoot a 69, while Allenby was unlucky not to get closer after having two eagle putts lip out.
However, the major drama of the day came when Mark Pilkington was penalised two shots for an illegal drop on the 15th, a mistake which saw him drop from eighth place to joint 17th.
Accompanied by European Tour chief referee John Paramor, the 23 year old, was taken back onto the course after finishing his third round and had to demonstrate where he dropped the ball after hitting his tee shot into a bush left of the fairway.
Paramor ruled that the 1998 Welsh Amateur Champion had chosen the wrong spot and turned his bogey five into a triple-bogey seven. His 73 then became a 75 and he goes into the final round nine adrift of Els.
"I didn't have anywhere I could drop it within two clubs length, so I went back on what I thought was the line of the flag,” said Pilkington. “But it was difficult to get it exactly."
Paramor said: "There was a large gallery following and a number of them, including a couple of professional golfers, spoke to an official about where Mark had dropped the ball. We investigated and established the correct spot was clearly three yards left of where he hit from. I was worried at first that it might be a serious breach, which would result in disqualification. Clearly Mark was desperately upset. I would be."
