Martin Simonsen bogeyed the last to slip into a three-way tie for the Kaskáda Golf Challenge lead and set up a thrilling final day at Kaskáda Golf Resort.
The Dane posted a three under par round of 68 and was forced to settle for a 16 under par total after hitting his second shot in the water at the par four 18th hole and closing with a bogey. He’s joined at the top of the leaderboard by German playing partner Freddy Schott, who carded a four under 67, and Frenchman Victor Riu who enjoyed a good moving day with a bogey-free six under par 65.
Simonsen felt he did not get the rewards his positive play deserved at times on day three but enjoyed his day playing alongside Schott and Jeremy Freiburghaus.
“The wind picked up a little bit at the end and it was a swirling a little bit,” he said. “It’s still a beautiful place to be, so I’m happy.
“We had a really good time. The three of us were talking, having a good time and making a couple of birdies as well. It was fun.
“I had 178 yards on the last and I thought the club was going to shut in the semi-rough because it’s done it all week but it didn’t do it this time and just went straight, right into the pond. It is what it is. It’s more fun when you’re trying to do something great than when you’re trying to play it safe so it’s fine. I can deal with it.”
France’s Riu, who won the 2013 Swiss Challenge, is teeing it up in only his third event on the 2022 Road to Mallorca but is not surprised by his good performance so far this week.
“It was really good,” he said. “I’m very happy, a bogey-free is good and it was a solid round. I’m happy with my game today, as I was in the first two rounds.
“The eagle was a nice bonus because it was a tricky putt, 55 feet downhill, it was really good.
“It’s my third event and last week was pretty good. I’m feeling good with my game and I feel like I’m getting better and better every day.”
Schott, who finished fifth at the SDC Open earlier this year, finished with a birdie to join the lead after struggling with a back injury throughout the back nine.
“I’m feeling good, it was a good putt on the last to keep my mood up,” he said. “I felt a bit tired after nine holes because my back started to hurt again so I had to reduce my speed a bit, so I’m very happy with the finish.
“It’s been there for over a week now. The physios are doing their best to make it go away but it’s still there. I try to work with it, rather than work against it, so it’s okay.”
Denmark’s Oliver Hundebøll posted an eight under par 63, the low round of the day, to climb into a tie for fourth place alongside Switzerland’s Freiburghaus on 14 under par, while Englishman Marco Penge is sixth on 13 under after carding a six under par round of 65.
There is a three-stroke gap between Penge and the group in a tie for seventh on ten under par, including in-form Swede Jens Dantorp, who carded a seven under 64, Spain’s Borja Virto and Englishman Nathan Kimsey
