September 24, 2016: Alexander Levy will take a four-shot lead into the third and final round of the Porsche European Open after the tournament was reduced to 54 holes due to fog delays. Anirban Lahiri overcame an early bogey to post a second straight 68. But SSP Chawrasia followed up his first round 68 with a 75 to suffer the cut.
Nearly seven hours were lost on days one and two and when more mist arrived on Saturday morning to claim another three hours, the decision was taken to move the third round to Sunday.
Lahiri made a bogey at the second, but that was to be his only blemish on the day. He recovered the stroke with a birdie at the next hole.
Anirban made ten straight pars, before adding three birdies in four holes from the 14th to coast home with a flourish. He is currently six under overall, around four shots shy of a place in the top ten. Given the slew of low scores this week, the 89th ranked Indian can hope for a top 20 finish with a good round on Sunday.
Chawrasia was lying T2 at one point in the first round, but has since slipped down the order. The second round turned into a nightmare for the man from Kolkata.
Three bogeys in the first four holes left him bruised and he could not recover for the rest of the day. Chawrasia did make birdies at the 8th, 14th and 15th holes, but bogeys at 7, 9, 16 & 18 cost him dearly, finishing in T118. He was one over through 36 holes, with the cut at everything below three under.
Levy came into day three with a single hole of his second round to complete and duly made par on the ninth to stay at 17 under at Golf Resort Bad Griesbach.
Ross Fisher made a birdie on the seventh in his final three holes to cut the Frenchman’s overnight lead to five shots but it was Swede Michael Jonzon who surged through the field, shooting a 63 to get to 13 under.
Michael Jonzon only found out he was playing on Wednesday afternoon after being fourth reserve for the event, but he will now have the chance to win his third European Tour title, 19 years after claiming his first at the Portuguese Masters.
Levy is also looking for victory number three after winning twice in 2014 and should he lift the trophy on Sunday afternoon, it will be the second time he has won a reduced event, with the Portugal Masters being played over 36 holes due to heavy rain.
“I had four good shots and a nice par today but it was no good coming up this morning and seeing the fog again,” he said. “But it’s okay, I just stayed patient and made two good shots, one from the tee and one from the fairway and that’s all I wanted to do.
I’m just trying to think about my own game and do the best that I can and that’s the most important thing –Alexander Levy
“I don’t watch the leaderboard overnight. I’m just trying to think about my own game and do the best that I can and that’s the most important thing.”
Home favourite Martin Kaymer parred his remaining hole in the morning to sit at 11 under alongside another German in Florian Fritsch and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger.
Jonzon turned in 32 with four birdies and a bogey but really came to life on the back nine, reeling off four birdies in a row from the 11th. He then saw further birdie chances brush the edge on the 15th and 16th before holing from the fringe on the penultimate hole.
“I always said I function well under these circumstances,” he said. “I struggle more just trying to make cuts because I can put a lot of pressure on myself. I know what I can do and sometimes I try too much.
Wiesberger turned in 33 and when he put his approach to six feet for an eagle on the tenth and birdied the 11th, he was at 13 under. A lost ball on the 12th brought a bogey, however, and he dropped another on the 14th after coming up short of the green.
Fritsch was bogey-free in his 64 as he made three birdies in his last four holes.
I’m going to be trying as hard as I can and be proud of my effort tomorrow –Michael Jonzon
Bradley Dredge fired a 64 to sit alongside early finishers Jean Hugo and Robert Karlsson, a shot clear of Soomin Lee and Matthew Southgate.
“Two rounds of 65 for 12 under – it’s decent but I’m five behind so I need to play very well tomorrow,” said Fisher. “Obviously Alex is playing great and he’s pretty good at reduced holes tournaments.
“There’s still a lot to play for and it’s nice to know now that we’ve only got one round to go. It’s a tough decision but I think they’ve made the right call.”
