The Skandia PGA Open looks likely to go right to the wire after an intriguing third round at the Arlandstad Golf Club left Irishman Colm Moriarty and Scotland’s David Patrick tied at the top of the leaderboard on nine under par 201 – with Englishman Stuart Davis just two shots back in third place.
Moriarty, the overnight leader, posted a third round 69, while his playing partner Patrick put together a 66 to move into a share of the joint lead. The Celtic duo will be paired together again for the fourth and final round, with Davis on seven under, and his compatriot Simon Lilly and Swedish Amateur David Palm a further stroke back but well within striking distance of the title.
Moriarty could not repeat his low scoring exploits of the first two rounds when he put together a pair of four under 66s, but was delighted to have manoeuvred himself into a winning position for the first time in his Challenge Tour career.
The 26 year old Irishman went to the turn in two under 32, but came back in one over to post a nine under total.
He said: “I played not too badly at all. I was a couple under at the turn but then dropped a couple of shots one after the other on the back nine. Then I managed to birdie 15, bogey 17 and picked up another shot at the last, so I finished well.
“I am still playing well generally – I just have to keep playing the way that I have been all week and I will be in with a chance.
“This is the first time that I have been in this position in my professional career so I will just have to wait and see what happens tomorrow. I am looking forward to it though – this is why we play the game, to get into these positions. I will probably have the nervousness that comes with being in this position but I have been playing well ayear and not really putting the score together, so now that I am here I intent to go out there tomorrow and enjoy it.”
Patrick echoed those sentiments. The 30 year old – like Moraiarty a former Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup winner – had an outside chance of victory going into the final round of the 2005 FIRSTPLUS Wales Challenge but finds himself in a position of strength going into the fourth round in Sweden.
He said: “It’s nice to be in this position. I went out today and did what I wanted to do. It has been quite a frustrating season for me, and we will see what tomorrow brings but this is what we all work towards – being in a winning position going into the final round.
“There is nothing more depressing than going out early on a Sunday morning knowing that you don’t really have a chance of doing anything, so to be in the lead feels good.”
