There is a four-way log jam atop of the leader board with a round to play in the 2015 Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
South African Branden Grace produced the shot of the day to end the round tied on 13-under par after another day of ideal scoring conditions in Doha.
The four-time Tour winning Grace, who captured last month’s Alfred Dunhill Championship, was one over through four holes when he drove into trees down the right of the fifth.
With no obvious escape route, Grace snap-hooked a wedge to six feet for the most unlikely of birdies, holed from 20 feet at the next and had three more gains in an inward 33 for a 68 and 13 under par total.
Branden Grace in good spirits after he birdies the last to join a log jam of four players leading after three days of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
That put the 26 year old alongside playing partner Emiliano Grillo, Scotland’s Marc Warren and Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger after a day full of twists and turns at the top of the leaderboard.
“I actually didn’t hit that bad a tee shot,” Grace, a five-time European Tour winner, said of his exploits at the fifth.
“I thought I was just in the rough on the right but it must have had a big bounce to the right. Where it finished, I thought, this is going to take some magic.
“I could only hit a big, snapping hook with a wedge and when I hit it, I couldn’t see the ball. We heard the claps and the next thing I know I’ve managed to make a nice little five-footer for birdie. That definitely got it kick-started.
“It was nice to bounce back the way I did and great to finish off the round with a good birdie on 18.
“I’m pretty happy with the round and I’m still in the position where I want to be.
Marc Warren looks to become the fourth Scottish born winner in the 16-year history of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
“I’m not going to say that it’s given; I still have to get up and still have to do the same things, and you still have to play good golf. These guys are good and we all play to win and we are all there for a reason. I’m just going to try to do the same tomorrow and hopefully can be one better.”
Wiesberger led for much of the day after birdieing the second and third, and went two clear when he converted from 15 feet at the eighth.
The Austrian failed to capitalise on the two par fives that followed, but curled in a 20 foot putt at the 12th and seemed to be in control until he pulled his tee shot into the desert at the driveable 16th and bogeyed. A five-footer at the last for birdie sealed a 68 which kept him in a share of top spot.
“It’s nice to start the day in the lead and hang on to it,” said the 29 year old, who won both his European Tour titles in 2012. “Everybody seems to be playing really well and I enjoyed it out there.
“It was just that bad swing on 16 which cost me a bogey, so it’s really a two shot swing on a short hole like that. I finished nicely with a birdie and it gives me a bit of momentum for tomorrow.”
Argentine Grillo was the only one of the four leaders not to drop a shot in his third round 67.
The 22 year old is chasing a maiden European Tour title and putted beautifully, with a 20-foot effort on the 11th among his five birdies.
“I hit the ball better today, so I’ve got a good feeling for tomorrow and want to try to get my first win,” said Grillo. “It’s going to be a complicated day tomorrow but it’s not going to be as tough as today.
“This is what I play for. This is what I have practised for my entire life. Tomorrow I have a great chance of taking my first trophy home. You have to learn first to win out here and I think I’ve learned a lot and I think I’m ready.”
Warren, who won in Denmark last season, had four birdies in his first ten holes but failed to get up and down from the edge of the 14th green for his only bogey of the day.
The Scot birdied the 15th and two-putted the next after driving the green for a round 67, and like Grillo he is confident of finishing the job.
“The last few years I’ve shown a lot of progress again,” said Warren. “I came close a couple times but didn’t quite go over the line, and that was something that came quite easily at the start of my career. Every time I was in contention, I seemed to win.
“I’m confident in my ability to do that and it was nice to actually prove it again [in Denmark]. It’s one thing to be confident and to actually do it is another thing. I’ve definitely got a spring in my step.”
England’s Eddie Pepperell, who turned 24 on Thursday, celebrated with a best-of-the-day 65 to share third place with Spain’s Alejandro Cañizares and South African George Coetzee on 11 under. However, defending champion Sergio Garcia had a day to forget as an inward 42 sent him tumbling out of contention.
