Twelve months ago at the Portugal Masters, European Tour Chairman David Williams presented Denmark’s Anders Hansen with a generous farewell gift in appreciation of his contribution to the European Tour.

At age 45, Hansen was quitting the Tour after some 419 events and with three victories, including twice capturing the BMW PGA Championship, for an undisclosed new challenge his life.

However, we saw the very affable Dane competing in this year’s BMW International Open and now he’s back competing again in the 10th anniversary of the Portugal Masters, and in what is actually his fifth event of the 2016 Race to Dubai schedule.

And while Hansen had good reason to be playing five events, little did he expect to be sharing the lead heading to the final round on the Arnold Palmer designed Oceanico Victoria course at Vilamoura.

Twelve months ago – The European Tour’s David Williams presents Anders Hansen with a farewell gift.

Birdies on the first, second, fifth, 11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th resulted in Hansen’s second 62 in 1,499 rounds on Tour, and he revealed he will not feel any pressure going into the final day.

“I didn’t really have a strategy,” he said. “Just go out and play and just try to enjoy it and hit good shots and it turned out alright.

“When I decided to retire it was a full retirement and then the top 40 came in and I didn’t really know so I had to play five this year and that’s why I’ve been doing this.

“I’m very, very happy with my life. I’m very happy where I am and there is no re-think about starting playing golf again, I’m very happy the way it is.

“It probably helps a little bit because it doesn’t really matter to me either way, it is what it is. I’m not going to come back and play full-time, that decision has been made so I’m just enjoying being here.

A big smile on the face of Anders Hansen who shares the lead after day three of the Portugal Masters. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)

“It’s nice to know that I can still do it, even though I’m not playing too much golf anymore. It’s a strange feeling to go out and shoot nine under in my position, it really is.”

Finland’s Mikko Korhonen, and 20 years younger than Hansen, is tied atop of the board with the Dane and, at 116th on the Race to Dubai, and the Finn signed for a 64 to sit alongside Hansen at 18 under, a shot clear of three-time Major Championship winner Padraig Harrington.

Defending champion Andy Sullivan, fellow Englishman Chris Paisley and Scot Paul Lawrie were then at 16 under, a shot clear of another Scot in Marc Warren.

Korhonen birdied three of his first five holes and while he dropped a shot on the sixth, the 36 year old bounced back with a birdie on the seventh to turn in 32. Further gains followed on the 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th to put him in pole position to make the top 111 and retain his playing privileges, although he was not allowing complacency to sneak in.

“I just go one day at a time, one shot if I can, and try not to think about it,” he said. “Of course it’s in the mind but I do not think about it too much.

“It was great. I played solid, putted well. Nothing special but a really good round.

“So far, so good but tomorrow to go, so we’ll see.”