They came and went on day three at the Heineken

BY Bruce Young | Australasian PGA Tour | 2005 Heineken Classic | Round Three | 05 Feb 2005

It was the perfect set up for what promised to be a big Saturday here at the Heineken Classic.

Australia’s hottest golfer, Peter Lonard, and a resurgent Colin Montgomerie sharing the lead, the pre tournament favourite Ernie Els back in contention with his second round 64 and in their midst the talented South African Trevor Immelman, the cagy veteran Craig Parry and a couple of young Australian prospects in James Nitties and Jarrod Lyle.

At the completion of round two twelve players were within three of the lead and by the time the last group left the first tee, there were thirty within four of the lead. What a juicy prospect.

Just as the leaders left the first tee they were in for another surprise. Els, looking for his fourth consecutive win in this event, had birdied the first and at the par five second, his second shot came to rest just two paces off the green and some thirty feet from the hole. If he could hole that putt he would be in the lead and that slow start he had on Thursday would be but a distant memory. Guess what – he did.

England’s Simon Dyson too was making an early statement. Three birdies and an eagle in the first five holes saw him leap into a share of the lead with Els, Lonard and Montgomerie and just a few minutes later when Immelman birdied the first, he too had joined the party at nine under. Dyson’s eagle had come from a pitch in at the short par four fifth. Dyson would bogey his next two holes and fall back but it was quite a start.

The breezes began to strengthen but so also did the challenges. Twenty three year old rookie Jarrod Lyle, who turned professional just over two months ago missed short putt for birdie at the first but at the second he holed from twenty five feet for eagle to take the lead then at the par three third his tee shot came to rest less than a metre from the hole for another birdie and at the fourth he missed a great opportunity from four feet. It was amazing stuff from the rookie. He wasn’t about to stop there. At the short par four fifth he drove it into the fairway bunker and was left with a shot of forty or so metres. He played a fine bunker shot although it trickled off the left side of the green but only four metres from the hole. In that went for another birdie and he was at 12 under and alone in the lead again. At the sixth, from yet another good drive, he hit his short iron approach to six feet but for the second time in three holes missed a good opportunity to consolidate his lead further.

Els birdied the fifth, Lonard the second and Immelman the second to all move to ten under and juts one back of Lyle but by then it was almost too much to just keep up with the movement on the course. Immelman birdied the third to join Lyle in a share of the lead.

While all this mayhem and scoring carnage was going on South Australian Gary Simpson was round in 65 to move to seven under. Not bad admittedly but given the quality of the scoring and the friendly nature of the course on day three, he did not make the progress he might have expected.

Immelman missed the green left with his tee shot at the short par four fifth but hit a superb pitch to four feet and holed it for the birdie and he had joined Lyle in the lead.

Steve Webster who came and went in rounds one and two was back again today. His second round of 72 saw him lose much ground but he was out in 31 and at ten under he was again back in the mix. He would finish at ten under and just four behind he is not completely out of it.

Surely Lyle must begin to feel the sense of the occasion. If he was he certainly didn’t show it at the 8th, the potentially dangerous par three, where he safely found the green and then holed from eight metres for yet another birdie and the lead was his again on his own. Another birdie came at the 12th from less than two metres and he was ahead by two. At the next he came up short with his approach and pitched to two metres and then missed to drop a shot. He parred in from there to finish at 13 under.

Another emerging from fray was Nick O’Hern. O’Hern had a brilliant season in Europe in 2004, his best in professional golf, and here after a brief recovery period for arthroscopic surgery to the knee, he was immediately back into contention just as he had been in nearly every European event he played in 2004. He has yet to win on the European Tour and in fact has only won one event on an official tour, but he is getting closer and his turn must surely come. Playing with Els he opened with a birdie and like his more credentialed playing partner was out in 31 to be at 11 under and within two. Another birdie at the 12th saw him move within one and into second place on his own as Immelman dropped a shot at the 8th. Two holes later at the 14th, O’Hern moved to 13 under when he holed from twenty five feet and he was again trailing by just one. O’Hern birdied the 17th to move ahead and when he parred the last he was the clubhouse leader.

“I was just trying to hang on early,” he said later, especially with the start that Ernie made. It was strange as I didn’t really focus on my score until the turn and then I looked at a board and I was five under for the day." Referring to his playing partners Els and Brett Rumford and made special reference to the ease of playing with them both. “If you couldn’t feel at ease with Ernie and Brett as playing partners then you would be hard to please,” he said.

Colin Montgomerie started with seven consecutive pars and before his first birdie at the 8th which came as the result of a brave and attacking tee shot at the par three. He then birdied the 9th and again at the 12th to move within one of the lead. The new look Monty with the refreshing new outlook on life was back, well at least for now. Like the struggling Lonard, he bogeyed the 13th and fell back to eleven under. He dropped three shots in his last five holes to finish at eight under and his chance appears gone.

Craig Parry was playing with Jarrod Lyle and while he had been lurking for most of the day it was only in the last three holes when the gritty competitor that is Parry, came to the fore. He birdied the last three holes to finish at 13 under, just one back of O’Hern and in a share of second with his playing partner, Lyle. A good finish here will see him consolidate his position inside the top 64 in the world ranking and gain a start at the Accenture Match Play. It may be that he is looking for much more than a good finish and it would not surprise if he got it.

Ernie Els was perhaps frustrated with an even par back nine, but he did enough to keep in touch and just three back he is still the man most will be watching tomorrow. “I hit some spectacular shots then made some very silly errors.” He caught a flyer with his second at the 17th and dropped a shot and it will be interesting to see whether that will be a costly blow tomorrow.

Brett Rumford will also be in the mix on day four at 11 under and just three back. His birdie at the last was a timely boost and he will look to win his second Australasian PGA Tour event, but his first as a professional and his second European Tour victory in seven months following his win at the Irish Open in July.

For Immeleman who had figured for so much of the first three days, he played the back nine in two over and was back to nine under and unless he can produce something very special tomorrow he appears out of winning contention.

So O’Hern leads by one from Parry and Lyle with Els and Rumford one further back.

And what of tomorrow? O’Hern has developed into one of the best and most consistent Australian players in recent years but has little winning experience. Lyle as a newcomer and playing just his fifth event as a professional, has that to contend with, but he surprised today and may yet do so tomorrow. Parry has won almost everywhere now and with wins such as the Ford Championship and American Express Championship to his credit he is more than capable of going on with it here on Sunday. Ernie Els is lurking just three back and is perhaps the biggest danger. Rumford and Immelman we have mentioned and Lonard appears the best of those at 10 under.

There are many different permutations and stories that will keep the spectators and media alike, awaiting the outcome.