Despite declaring it was a ‘mental, mental’ day Scotland’s Connor Syme was all smiles and delighted to be in sizzling form thanks to an 11 birdie haul on day three of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Syme burst into the then clubhouse lead thanks to his round of 63 for a 14-under tally moments before being joined by Tyrrell Hatton who posted a 64 for his similar three-round tally in the UAE capital.
The Scot eventually ended ‘Moving Day’ sharing 12th place and with England’s Aaron Rai signing for a 66 and lead the field by a shot on 20-under.
Syme’s effort also is the reigning KLM Open champ’s lowest round all season and one shot fewer than his second round 64 earlier this year on route to a T13th result in February’s Magical Kenya Open.
SYME SIZZLES WITH 6⃣3⃣ @ADGolfChamps …
@connor_syme @modestgolf grabs 11 birdies thanks to the current @KLMOpen champs lowest @DPWorldTour score in three years
Read: https://t.co/Zj5F1hB6uy
✅ @TOURMISS @Record_Sport pic.twitter.com/i2bwH3G2ag
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) November 8, 2025
“Mental day. Mental day”, said Syme smiling after today’s superb round.
“I played 14, I was like, I made so many birdies today. It was fun. I hit it so well. I hit it close to a lot of pins, and I actually left a few out there, which sounds a bit daft.
“The couple bogeys I made were frustrating. Around that par 5, I made six. It’s a really, really weird thing to say.
“But obviously delighted with the score. Gets me right back up the board”,
The last occasion Syme shot a 63 was a week over three years ago in posting a 63 on day three of the Majorca Open where he eventually shared 23rd place.
Syme’s Abu Dhabi sizzler began with back-to-back birdies as he had done a day earlier ahead of four birdies in succession from the fifth hole.
He dropped a shot at the ninth but regathered that with a birdie on 10 only to bogey 11 ahead of three birdies in succession, including holing a six-footer for a birdie at 14 and having birdied that hole for three days running.
Syme then finished on a high holing a four-footer for a birdie ‘4’ and his nine-under tally.
It was a round where two other Scots competing in Abu Dhabi finally began to shine brightly headed by top Scot Robert MacIntyre who signed for a 66 to be one shot back of Syme on 13-under.
At 12-under is Calum Hill who bogeyed the last in a 68 while Grant Forrest signed for a second straight 69 for his eight-under tally but finds himself now only four shots inside the Race to Dubai leading top-50.
And triple Tour winning Ewen Ferguson could be staying at home in nearby Dubai next week and being projected to drop to 48th on the Race to Dubai unless he can improve on his current T61st Abu Dhabi standing.
Only the top-50 on the Race to Dubai money-list will be eligible for next week’s season-ender again at the Jumeirah Estates course.
