Scotland’s David Drysdale brilliantly boosted hopes of a first Tour win in narrowly avoiding ‘OOB’ down the last and then draining a long birdie putt to be tied in second place at 13-under par and just one shot off the lead at the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open.
Dydsdale, 45 signed for a third round three-under 68 to join five others trailing Welshman Jamie Donaldson (69) who heads the inaugural event on 14-under par.
Joining Drysdale is Finnish pair of Kalle Samooka (66) and Sami Valimaki (68) along with Belgium’s Thomas Detry (67) and England’s Marcus Armitage (70).
There are a further five players on 12-under, including a second Scot in Robert MacIntyre, and a total of 28 players within five shots of the lead.
Taking dead aim.
David Drysdale was this close to a hole in one 😲#CyprusOpen pic.twitter.com/pKsbwNXwmj
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 31, 2020
Drysdale grabbed five birdies in his round but none better than at 18.
He said: “I blocked my tee shot way right and with my ball on a bare lie but my next shot was through a gap between two trees but I couldn’t see where it went because of the setting sun in my eyes. It had landed just a few yards from ‘OB’, and I had a free drop and then I played a lovely little 65-yard pitch shot to about 15-feet and holed the birdie putt.”
Drysdale is competing in his 509th Tour event, and after losing out in a play-off earlier this year at the Qatar Masters, the Eyemouth attached Scot, is looking to break through for a first Tour success.
And in the process the Eyemouth golfer is looking to bizarrely match the achievement of England’s Malcolm McKenzie in capturing his first and only event at the 2002 French Open, and what was his 509th event that remains a Tour record.
Drysdale said: “Wow! I remember the 2-iron Malcolm hit over the water at the last and while I don’t believe in fate, it would be nice if it happened tomorrow.
“Also, I have won a couple of events on the Challenge Tour but while I have not had that many opportunities to win, I will try and stay patient, and just try to play some good golf and see where that gets me.”
The World No. 100 ranked MacIntyre gets better with each round in Cyprus having posted scores of 68, 67 and now a third round 66, and included in his day three score was four birdies in succession from the fifth hole.
“I’m really happy as I’ve struggled at the start of tournaments of late, and really Thursday was so pleasing to see a good score,” said MacIntyre.
“Then late on in the week hasn’t been much of a problem really. I’m just trying to keep the momentum going.
“I’ve played great. I’ve not missed many greens. Hit some great putts that haven’t gone in but we’re starting to see the ball rolling. Today I started holing some nice putts and hopefully we can keep it going.
““I struggled with pace, but I didn’t have many long putts to be honest. I’ve been really striking my irons – a new set of irons in this week – I’m finally hitting distances I’ve been intending to hit and we’re starting to see the result.”
MacIntyre has returned to competition this week after the disappointment in having to withdraw after round one of the recent Scottish Championship at the Fairmont Resort near St. Andrews.
“I’m feeling fine. Your health is more important than a round of golf,” he said.
“My health wasn’t great, I had to go home and sort that out. This week I can still feel some tightness in my lower back when I get up in the morning, but I stretch it out, do my warm up and step on the first tee ready to go.
“It’s going to be the first time for me and Mike together (in a position like this), I’ve just got to go and play golf. I’m playing great from tee to green, if I can do that again tomorrow, who knows what can happen?”
