September 03, 2016: Rashid Khan played brilliant golf for a second day running in the Omega European Masters. He shot 67 in the third round to rise up 14 spots and close the day in T25. Arjun Atwal scored a second straight 69, lying in T53 after 54 holes. Scott Hend will take a one-shot lead into the final round after an impressive third-round 65 at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club.
The Australian came into day three a shot off the lead but established a three-shot cushion on the back nine before a late surge from Alex Noren and a bogey on the last cut his advantage.
Noren fired a 66 to get to 12 under and will head into Sunday a single shot behind Hend as both men hunt a second European Tour title of the season.
Richard Bland was then at ten under after a 69, a shot clear of Alejandro Cañizares, Mikko Ilonen, Andrew Johnston and Romain Langasque.
Hend has enjoyed an excellent 2016 so far, winning the True Thailand Classic Presented by Chang and then representing his country at the Men’s Olympic Golf Competition.
“I played really nice golf,” he said. “I left a few shots out there but made a couple of par saves which made up for it. It was unfortunate on 18 when my ball managed to run between the bunkers down the cart path.
“One shot clear is better than none. I just want to play solid golf again and hopefully hole some more putts and see where we end up.
“Hopefully Alex and I can forge ahead and create a gap between us and the field and battle it out on the back nine.
“I should have won more. I had chances to win more but I’ve only won twice. I’m hungry to win more than twice or three times or more than four. I want to win as many times as I can.”
Rashid, who made 65 on Friday, made a shaky start, conceding bogeys at the first and third holes. But he shot six birdies in nine holes from the seventh to script another commanding performance.
“I’m happy with my game right now. This course looks short but the greens are tricky,” said Rashid. “You need to find a good location on the greens to make birdie. This is my third year here so I know the course well. The experience helped me this week.
“There are many holes where you can make birdies here. I was calm and it was all good. Lee Westwood is a nice person. We had a good conversation about cricket and some other random stuff on the course,” added Rashid.
Atwal started with a bogey too, at the very first hole. He made a brilliant recovery though, firing a hat-trick of birdies from the fourth hole. He add two more, back to back at the ninth and tenth as he consolidated his grip over the course.
But a double bogey at the 11th and a bogey at the 12th stalled his juggernaut, forcing him down to a 69 in the end. Atwal is lying at one under 209, while Rashid is four strokes ahead at 5-under 205.
Noren was not in the Swedish team in Rio de Janeiro but he too has had a summer to remember, with three top tens in his last five events – including a win at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
Hend soon hit top spot with a birdie on the tough first before joint overnight leader Langasque moved away with two birdies – highlighted by a chip-in on the fifth.
The 43 year old played a smart iron off the tee at the sixth and put an approach to eight feet to get to double figures, and when Langasque dropped a shot after getting semi-plugged in a bunker on the same hole, the gap was closed.
Hend may have reined in his power on the sixth, but he drove the green on the next and got down in two for birdie before producing a 60-foot putt from the fringe on the eighth green to get to 12 under and open up a two-shot lead.
Noren joined the group two back with a birdie on the ninth but gave it straight back on the tenth while Hend picked up a birdie to sit four ahead of the 34 year old.
The 2009 champion cut the gap to three with a birdie on the 14th and after both men took advantage of the next, Noren rolled in a 50-footer on the 17th to edge closer.
Both men were in trouble down the right off the 18th tee but Noren made his par while Hend bogeyed to leave things finely poised.
Finn Ilonen was four over for the day after five holes but bounced back with six birdies including a closing pair, while Spaniard Cañizares also had a big finish, picking up three shots in his final four holes in a 68.
Frenchman Langasque followed those two early gains with just one more and three bogeys, with England’s Johnston making three birdies and dropping a single shot.
Scot David Drysdale fired the low round of the day with a 64 and he was at eight under alongside German Florian Fritsch and Australia’s Richard Green.
