…… Al Hamra GC, RAK
Scotland’s in-form Scott Jamieson’s out to wrap up one of his best new seasons starts sharing second place heading to the final round of the inaugural RAK Golf Club in the UAE.
Jamieson took full advantage of the ideal ‘moving day’ conditions to grab seven birdies in a blemish-free round 65 to be in a four-way share of second place at 13-under on the stunning Al Harma course, and around an hour’s drive north of Dubai.
Powerhouse Kiwi Ryan Fox birdied his opening four holes in a third day 63, his second nine-under score for the week, to double his lead from three to six shots at 19-under-par.
Fox is the son of legendary All Black Grant Fox, and while he’s won a dozen times in his career there’s a part of him still looking to make amends when Scot Russell Knox denied his victory at 2018 Irish Open at Ballyliffin.
Scotland’s Scott Jamieson looking to end the early part of his new season how it began and that’s on a high. (Photo @TourMiss)
Fox said: “I have been in this position plenty of times, winning back home and in Australia, and around the Pacific, and the only other time I was in the lead was the Irish Open where I got done by Russell Knox holing a couple of absolute bombs on me (smiling)”.
Jamison finds himself atop of the board for a second time in four Middle East Swing events, and tied with Poland’s Adrian Meronk (64) and the Spanish pair of Pablo Larrazabal (68) and Adri Arnaus (66).
This week is Jamieson’s fourth event in succession in a 12th straight DP World Tour season and he’s been a picture of consistency.
The Florida-based Scot Jamieson started out last month going so close to victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship to finish T10th at Yas Links. He was just inside the top-30 a week later in Dubai and last just a place outside the top-20 in the first of the $2m Al Hamra double-header.
He said: “These four weeks have been really good to me and not since the 2012/2013 season winning the Nelson Mandela, along with a third a week later, and then the first week of the 2013 season, I had a second.
“I said that at the start of this year, the two Rolex Series events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai really got my attention, and I’ve always been a bit of a momentum player, so if I knew if I hit the ground running it was always going to be a good start to ’22 and it has.
“Golf’s such a funny game and it’s not guaranteed to happen, but I knew that my game was in a decent place and I just needed to make sure mentally I was ready to get going.
“The good thing also having gone so close to winning in Abu Dhabi and now three weeks on, I still have plenty of adrenalin in the tank.
“I wasn’t that sharp on Thursday of this week but I dug deep to make the cut with a 66 and it just goes to show as you never know what is around the corner.
Robert MacIntyre cracked his driver on Friday and is struggling with a back-up. (Photo – @TourMiss)
One back of Jamieson is Robert MacIntyre and regrouping from a bogey, birdie, bogey and birdie start in posting a 68 to join two others at 12-under.
Hurting the Oban lefty is a ‘back-up’ driver he’s been forced to use after cracking the face of his top driver on Friday.
MacIntyre said: “I’ve got loads of drivers with me but they’re back-up drivers for a reason, and it’s just not the same so I’m heading to the range to see I can get comfortable with it for tomorrow
“The driver is just costing me so many shots at the moment, and in a week where I have probably hit my irons and putt the best in quite some time.
“You want to be winning golf tournaments, and I’m not here to just finish or earn Race to Dubai or World Ranking points.
“My game is right there and it’s just disappointing it’s just happened right now”.
Fifer Connor Syme (69) is at 11-under, David Law (68) on 10-under with the pair of David Drysdale (72) and rookie Craig Howie (70) at seven-under.
