A nerveless performance from Sweden’s Johan Carlsson over the testing front nine of Nurtau Golf Club meant he extended his lead at the top of the leaderboard to four and edged ever closer to a maiden European Challenge Tour title at the Kazakhstan Open.
The 27 year old was the only man playing in the final group to have endured the final-day nerves without any slip-ups at the lucrative event, where a win would virtually secure Carlsson’s graduation to The European Tour.
He opened with steady pars before birdies at the third hole and sixth hole took him to the turn in two under par before another birdie at the par five tenth moved him to 16 under for the tournament, four clear at the top.
Meanwhile, his playing partners were struggling to keep the pace as Tyrrell Hatton opened with a bogey before dropping another at the third hole, but he was mounting a comeback thanks to consecutive birdies at the ninth and tenth holes.
Duncan Stewart looked to have kept his cool with a par at the first before a birdie at the second, but a bogey at the par four third along with a double-bogey at the fourth knocked him back. He did follow that with a birdie at the fifth to reach the turn in one over but fell six back from the leader.
The biggest challenge to Carlsson’s lead came from young Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, who opened with a birdie two at the first before another at the third but he was struggling to build up a head of steam as he followed that with seven pars to remain four shots off the pace on 12 under par.
