Joakim Lagergren posted a sensational nine under par round of 61 on moving day at Galgorm to take a one stroke lead into the final round of the Black Desert NI Open presented by Tom McKibbin.
The Swede fired seven birdies and an eagle without a bogey to reach 15 under par for the week, one shot ahead of overnight leader Conor Purcell from Ireland.
The 32-year-old is in pole position to add a second NI Open title to his resume, ten years after capturing his first in 2014, and admits to being excited by the prospect of winning again on the parkland layout in Co. Antrim.
“That was some round of golf today,” he said. “I don’t know what it is about this course.
“You really have to hit good shots and you can’t get ahead of yourself because you always have a challenge in front of you which I seem to like.
“I had a six-footer to win here ten years ago. It was my first big international professional win and I really want to do that again tomorrow.”
Lagergren, who started the day three shots off the lead, birdied three of his opening four holes to move alongside Purcell at the top of the leaderboard.
A birdie at the ninth was followed by an eagle at hole ten and another gain at the 11th, before back-to-back gains at the 14th and 15th saw him move into a commanding lead and chasing a round of 59.
Lagergren’s nearest challenger, Purcell, then fired back, birdieing two of his closing three holes to close the gap to one and set up an enthralling final day at Galgorm.
“It was a good battle between me and Conor,” he added. “We both played some great golf out there today and it felt like we were pushing each other with a lot of birdies.
“I have mixed feelings as I had a great chance for a 59. Unfortunately, I missed a five-footer on 17 and then a seven-footer on 18, but I played really well so I can’t complain. It would mean everything to win.”
Frenchman Robin Sciot-Siegrist occupies solo third, six shots off the lead on nine under par with countryman Pierre Pineau and Englishman Jack Senior one shot further back in a share of fourth.
Dane Hamish Brown sits in sixth on seven under par, one shot ahead of Spaniard Alvaro Quiros and Welshman Toby Hunt in seventh.
The final round gets under way at 9:51am local time with Lagergren, Purcell and Sciot-Siegrist teeing off at 11:30am.
