Shiv Kapur surges inside top 20

Report by Anand Datla

March 28, 2015: Shiv Kapur produced a sensational 67 in the third round of the Trophee Hassan II to recover from nearly missing the cut to well inside the top 20 after 54 holes at the beautiful seaside city of Agadir. The tournament itself is far from decided with a crowded bunch of ten golfers within a shot of each other. Richie Ramsay, Romain Wattel and Andrew McArthur enjoy a three way lead at 7-under 209, but it is wafer thin with seven others at 6-under.

Kapur was brilliant through the front nine – scoring birdies at will, six of them coming in the first eight holes to set up a positive turnaround for the Indian. The 260th ranked golfer made four straight birdies to start his round and he was six under when he sank his second shot in the pin at the 8th hole.

Back to back bogeys followed, reminding us of the troubles that befell the Indian in the first two rounds. After all Shiv needed 37 and 39 shots respectively on the first two days to traverse the front nine. Today he needed just 31, despite making a bogey at the ninth hole.

He surrendered one more at the par-5 tenth, before losing another shot at the 14th hole. Kapur finished the day with a flourish though, making consecutive birdies at the last two holes to end the day on a high.

At 5-under 212, Kapur is just three off the pace with a great chance of nudging up the order with a decent round on Sunday. Meanwhile, there are three men in the lead – McArthur and Wattel made 67 each to soar twenty five spots up the board, while Ramsay shot a 71 to put himself into contention for honours.

Romain Wattel picked up four shots in his last four holes to snatch a share of the lead going into the final round of the Trophee Hassan II, but with ten players separated by a single shot the tournament remains wide open in Agadir.

The Frenchman’s 67 was matched by Scotland’s Andrew McArthur, and they joined overnight co-leader Richie Ramsay on seven under par after the two-time European Tour winner went round in 71.

Among those a shot off the pace is South African George Coetzee, who needs to win in order to secure a place at next month’s Masters Tournament.