The continent might have changed but the story remained the same as Ernie Els took a commanding lead into the final day of a top-flight tournament for the second week running. Seven days ago in Florida, the South African held an eight shot advantage before going on to win the Genuity Championship on the US PGA Tour, this time the 32 year old moved three shots clear after the penultimate round of the Dubai Desert Classic on The European Tour.
Els posted a third round 67 – a card which included a double bogey five at the short seventh after a trip into the water – for a 13 under par total of 203 to open up a healthy advantage over Sweden’s Niclas Fasth who shot 69, the pair having turned the tournament largely into a two horse race.
Third placed Carl Pettersson, who forced his way into the reckoning with a superb 65 – the best round of the tournament to date – might disagree but there were few at the Emirates Course who expected the winner to come from outside the current top two.
“I’m very satisfied with the position I’m in,” said Els. “I just went out there and played the golf course and played it fairly well so I’m happy and enjoying myself. I said before I started that I enjoy the course and that’s what I’m doing – I’m just playing my own game.”
The South African made his intentions clear early on with birdies at the first and third holes but gave a glimmer of hope to the chasing pack with an uncharacteristic mistake at the 178 yard seventh.
“The flag was tight front left and there is a water hazard short of that and I guess I hit the wrong shot, the ball came up a little high, the wind got it, and it came up short,” he said.
“I probably should have hit it into the middle of the green but it’s easy to say that afterwards. I was a little bit annoyed with the double bogey because I had played really nicely up to that point but it didn’t affect me too much, for I played well after that.”
Proof of that pudding came with birdies at the ninth, tenth, 13th, 15th and 17th which gradually pulled him away from Fasth, who had stuck doggedly to the South African in the early stages, but who failed to make a birdie in the last five holes and dropped a shot for the second day running at the innocuous 351 yard 17th after he missed the green with his wedge approach.
“I’ve been playing steadily for three days now and I’ve made only two bogeys coming off wedges at the 17th which just felt stupid,” said the Swede. “I should be very happy because I played great but I’m afraid it was a little bit of a disappointing 69 today.”
Fasth admitted he believed he can stop the South African becoming the first player to win the Dubai Desert Classic title twice, following his initial victory in 1994.
“I’ve improved my swing over the winter and it really has paid off,” he said. “I gave it a few tournaments at the start of the year to get it together and by the Accenture Match Play in California I was fully up to speed. I gained some confidence from playing well there so I have every reason to expect good results.”
Third placed Pettersson continued his excellent run of form on The 2002 European Tour International Schedule with a flawless third round 65. It gave the Swede an eight under par total of 208 and a chance of notching his maiden Tour victory.
The 24 year old from Gothenburg has not missed a cut in eight tournaments this season on his way to his current 17th place on the Volvo Order of Merit, and put the upturn in form down to being more at home in the environment of The European Tour.
“I think the first year you come out in the beginning and just try to play to make the cut and just do you best but now I feel much more comfortable playing out here in the surroundings,” he said.
“Last year I was a little bit streaky but I’ve improved one hundred per cent from then. My game has improved a whole lot and now I no longer worry about the cut, I go out and try to win every tournament I play in.”
Certainly the start to his third round gave Pettersson’s the belief he could win, firing an exquisite seven iron approach to two feet for an opening birdie three. “I pictured that shot in my mind and it came off just like I wanted it to which was great,” he said.
Another birdie followed at the short seventh but the Swede made his real progress on the back nine of the Majlis course, birdieing the tenth, 12th, 13th, 16th and 17th to be home in 32.
Two shots adrift of Pettersson on six under par 210 and in a share of fourth place were a group of four players, John Bickerton (73), Paul Broadhurst (71), Raphaël Jacquelin (68) and reigning Volvo PGA Champion Andrew Oldcorn (69).
Further down the leaderboard, Thomas Björn continued the stout defence of the title he won so memorably twelve months ago, a third round 71 in his first tournament this year after a shoulder injury seeing the Dane amongst a group of players in a share of eighth place on five under par 211.
Elsewhere however, it was a day to forget for Korean Charlie Wi, who started the day a shot clear of the field but who ended it outside the top ten after an error strewn third round 77.
