Thrilling finale set for the Asian Tour’s Dubai Open at Els Club

Sport360 staff 08:21 21/12/2014
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  • Special round: Jbe Kruger, of South Africa, went round in 64 yesterday, including a hole-in-one on the second.

    Four players share the lead with an­other six just one shot back as the Asian Tour heads for a thrilling cli­max at the Els Club on Sunday.

    In pictures: Ten most famour caddies

    Major champion Darren Clarke and Jbe Kruger were yesterday’s big movers as they both went round in 64 to lift themselves into conten­tion.

    Darren Clarke.

    Going into the final day, Korea’s Wang Jeung-hun and Kruger of South Africa and the Indian duo of Arjun Atwal and Shiv Kapur are tied for the lead at 10 under, with Clarke lurking behind in a chas­ing pack which includes Chapchai Nirat and Pariya Junhasavasdikul, both of Thailand, Daisuke Kataoka of Japan, Simon Yates of Scotland and India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar.

    Two under at the start of the day, South African Kruger, who aced the par-3 second hole with a seven iron, and eagled the par-5 eighth, also rattled off seven birdies against three bogeys in his sterling round.

    “When I holed out at the sec­ond, I knew something special was around the corner. It has been a long year for me, so it’s special to be able to put together a round like that,” said Kruger.

    “I am definitely excited to be in this position. It’s all about putting at the end of the day and if I can do that well, I think I stand a good chance.”

    India’s Kapur overcame a stut­tering start to sign for a 69, playing the back nine with the attitude he displayed on the front nine at the 2013 Open Championship in Muir­field where he birdied six of the first seven holes in the round one.

    Shiv Kapur.

    “I came up one short of doing that when I missed my eagle putt on the last hole but I am happy with the way I fought back,” said Kapur who made a bogey-bogey start to his third round.

    “There was a time where I could have completely thrown myself out of the tournament, but I’m tied for the lead, which is not too bad.”

    Atwal, Asia’s number one in 2003, has not contended since becoming the first Indian to win on the PGA Tour in 2010 and reckons the hot­test putter will walk away with the Dubai Open crown.

    “It’s been a while,” said the seven-time Asian Tour winner. “Just make a lot of putts. Make a lot of birdies. It’s going to be fun I think.”

    General view of the Els Club in Dubai.

    Clarke, who won the Open Cham­pionship in 2011, came to the party, matching the best score of the tour­nament thus far with six birdies and a chip-in eagle (par-4, 16th) in his bogey-free round.

    “I’ve played really well all week but made no putts and made a mess of the last hole, the ninth yester­day (for double). I hit an awful lot of good shots and holed a couple of putts today,” said Clarke.

    “I shot two 64s in a Pro Am event in Turkey two weeks ago, the Banco Classic, so I’m playing better again which is nice. I’m here to play. I’m not here to make up the numbers. My timing has been off a little bit because of all the weight that I’ve lost. So because of that, it’s taken a bit of time.”

    England’s Joshua White kept the MENA Golf Tour flag flying, return­ing a 70 to move into a tie for 13th on seven-under, three ahead of Christopher Cannon and four bet­ter than Lee Corfield.

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