South Africa’s Michiel Bothma takes a three stroke lead into the final round of the Thomas Björn Open at Hosens Golf Club in Denmark hoping to banish the memory of two years ago when he was denied his last victory after being disqualified moments before being presented with the trophy.
Bothma fired a three under par 69 to move to nine under par 207, three ahead of joint halfway leader Marcus Higley of England, who shot a 73, and Finland’s Thomas Sundstrom, who carded a 71. Four players share fourth place a shot further back on five under par 211.
According to the records, 33 year old Bothma last won in 2002 when he claimed the Telecom PGA Championship in his native South Africa, but he also revealed how he was denied victory in a PGA Europro Tour event in Bristol in 2004 which he thought he had won by two. Amidst all the congratulations and questioning after his round, he omitted to sign his card and moments before he was to be handed the trophy, he found himself disqualified.
“In all the excitement and with the scoring area not separate at all, I just forgot to sign the card,” he said. “I feel I was denied the trophy that week but have a chance to put that right tomorrow.”
For a third successive round Bothma took advantage of the par fives, birdieing four of the five long holes on the Hosens course. But twice his aggressive play proved costly as he bogeyed the third after driving in water and then double bogeyed the 17th after again opting for driver and losing his ball.
Faced with a 260 yard carry over a ditch, Bothma launched his drive in an attempt to extend his lead but neither he nor the spectators could find the ball or say for certain it had gone in the ditch and he was forced to return to the tee. But he bounced back from the double bogey six with a birdie on the last to stay clear of the field.
“Maybe I was over-confident,” he said. “Sometimes being aggressive works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Victory for Bothma would be a major step towards his goal of winning a European Tour card and joining the likes of Darren Fichardt, who coincidentally is married to Bothma’s cousin, Charl Schwartzel and Richard Sterne. It was also give him a full Challenge Tour card, enabling him to plan his schedule and qualify for the biggest events of the season.
Higley was unable to match the previous day’s consistency and despite making four birdies, dropped five shots on his way to a 73. Sundstrom birdied the last to finish under par for the day with a 71 and will go out in the final group looking for his first win on the Challenge Tour.
