Brett Rumford is one round away from becoming only the third Australian to win back-to-back in the history of the European Tour.
Rumford shot a three under bogey-free 69 to move one shot clear of his rivals at 12-under par in bright but windy conditions on the Binhai Lake Golf Club course at Tianjin.
The 35-year old Perth-born Rumford ended a six-year victory drought in capturing last week’s Ballantine’s Championship and despite battling tiredness he now on target to win a second straight Tour title.
“It was a really tough day and a very tiring day, and I really started to feel it on the back nine,” said Rumford.
Brett Rumford on route to saving par on day three of the Volvo China Open. (Photo – www.europentour.com)
“Things were starting to catch-up and I would have come across looking perhaps like a wet fish as I was just not in the mood to be playing golf.
“But I hung in really, really nicely as there was some really tired golf swings out there today, and I could feel the lethargy in my body.
“So tonight I will be doing my best to recover for tomorrow but I did well to hang in there, and mentally I stayed with it but not physically, and force out as many pars as I could.”
Only two Australians have won back-to-back in the 41-year history of the European Tour and they were fellow West Australian Graham Marsh who won the 1972 Swiss Open and the following event, the German Open. Then in 1977 Marsh captured the back-to-back Colgate World Match-Play title and Lancombe Trophy.
Also in 1972, and the first year of the Tour, Jack Newton captured the Dutch Open and then the next Tour event, the Benson and Hedges Festival.
Finland’s Mikko Ilonen forfeited a three shot lead heading into the day in a round of 73 to trail Rumford by a stroke at 11-under par.
Illonen, who is looking to end a six-year victory drought, was tied with Rumford heading to the last but bogeyed the final hole.
Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal burst up the leader board with four birdies in succession from the 10th hole but did drop two strokes over his last five holes in a round of 69 for a 10-under par tally.
England’s Paul Casey, and winner of the event in 2006, let slip the likelihood of a first victory in two years when he bogeyed four of his closing six holes in a round of 72.
The former World No. 3 ranked Casey heads to the final day sharing 10th place on five under par.
And 16-year old Chinese amateur, Dou Ze-cheng bogeyed four holes in succession from his third hole in a round of 72 to be tied in 30th place on two-under par.
