The Scottish trio of Connor Syme, Calum Hill and Grant Forrest are going to need to go low over the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship if they are to also contest next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
The Tartan trio presently are outside of the leading 50 on the Race to Dubai who will gain entry into the $10m Race to Dubai curtain closer taking place an hour up the road in Dubai.
Syme is currently the best placed though being projected to drop three places to 52nd after three rounds of 71 on this week’s host Yas Links course.
Hill, who the DPWT confirmed was hit with a bizarre first day two-shot penalty but only learning of his indiscretion post his second round, is also projected to drop three places to 56th and not helped this week by roller-coaster rounds of 78, 64 and 72.
Forrest has struggled posting an opening pair of 73s and brilliantly kick-started golf’s traditional ‘moving day’ in holing a 16-footer for eagle at the second and with the Craigielaw golfer then producing five birdies, including a tap-in at the last, in seven-under 65 and eight shots better than his opening pair of scores.
Grant Forrest and now wife Christy post his maiden Tour victory in the 2021 Hero Open at the Fairmont Resort near St. Andrews (Image – TourMiss)
While Forrest is projected to end his year at No. 57 and also be disappointed not to be progressing to Dubai, he revealed to Sunday Mail Sport that his wife Christy is due to give birth next Sunday (Nov 17th) to the couples first born and he would head into the Dubai event with a ‘See how it, goes’ view.
If the trio miss out it will leave just top Scot Bob MacIntyre and Dubia-based Ewen Ferguson to carry the Home of Golf colours in next week’s last event.
MacIntyre, however, will certainly need to improve his putting with the shortest club in his bag causing his most concern.
The Oban lefty posted an opening round of 65 but took 31 putts while he had 33 putts in Friday’s 68 and ended day three with five straight pars in a score of 69 but after 33 putts.
Saying that MacIntyre shares seventh place at 14-under and just four shots behind England’s Paul Waring at 18-under.
MacIntyre said: “I’m still trying and playing well. My game has been good all year.
“So, just trying and keep building on it.
“I’m here to try and win the win golf tournaments against some great players, and the scores this week shows that the level is so high”.
The only other Scot in the Abu Dhabi and the now Dubai-based Ewen Ferguson added a third day 71 to be sharing 30th place on 10-under.
England’s Paul Waring, 39 went into day three leading by five after a sizzling course record 61 but could manage just one birdie in his day three 73 but continues to lead the event, abeit by a single shot, at 18-under.
Remarkably, Waring’s 18-under 54-hole tally matches the Tour record for the best Tour 54-hole 1st Low. You can read the full story on Waring’s efforts by clicking on: http://www.golfbytourmiss.com/2024/11/remarkably-waring-matches-tour-54-hole-low-despite-forfeiting-five-shot-abu-dhabi-hsbc-lead/
