Johnnie Walker wide open after day three
BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic | Round Three | 21 Feb 2009
Two Englishmen lead an international quartet by two shots at the completion of round three of the Johnnie Walker Classic at Perth’s Vines Resort, but with seventeen players within four shots of their lead this is still anybody’s tournament.
In blistering heat and gentle breezes, the field took full advantage of a golf course in pristine condition with no player inside the top 40 at the completion of the day’s play over par in round three.
John Bickerton and Ross McGowan lead the way with McGowan’s round of 65, capped off with consecutive birdies at the final two holes, the equal best of the day. Bickerton was not too far behind with a round of 66.
McGowan is in only his second season on the European Tour but has won twice previously on the Challenge Tour, a feat that enabled him to earn his way to the European Tour in 2008. He did well enough in his first season to easily retain his status and with the benefit of that season behind him he has emerged in 2009 as a player capable of contending and perhaps even winning at this higher level.
Bickerton has, however, had three European Tour victories, the last of those coming just 14 months ago in South Africa when he won the Alfred Dunhill Championship there. Tomorrow he will be paired with the man he played with in the final round at that event, McGowan. While not a household name in this part of the world, Bickerton has also won the lucrative and prestigious French Open title proving this event is not beyond him by any means.
Bickerton spoke with his physiologist last evening and although he was not prepared to say what had been discussed it clearly had an affect.
Raphael Jacquelin’s eagle at the par five 10th gave his round the momentum it needed to build to a 66 and at 12 under he is well placed to add to his two previous European titles.
Chile’s Felipe Aguilar will next week defend his Astro Indonesian Open title but it might be that when he arrives there he has another to defend in 12 months time. His round of 68 has him at 12 under.
Terry Pilkadaris recovered from a double bogey at the reachable par five 10th with three birdies in his last four holes to also be just two behind the lead while the brilliant young New Zealander Danny Lee continues to defy logic with his impressive performances at the age of just 18.
Lee picked up birdies at the 3rd, the 10th and the 11th to move to 12 under. He dropped a shot at the 16th but he birdied the last to build on his growing reputation. For Lee who went into today’s round with little expectation is now facing the prospect of joining Pablo Martin as the only amateur to win on the European Tour since its inception in 1972. If he was to do so he would earn status on the European Tour when he turns professional immediately after the Masters.
Local golfer, Michael Sim, birdied five of his first ten holes to take the lead early in the day but consecutive bogies at the 11th and 12th slowed his momentum. He recovered late in his round with bogies at his 17th and 18th holes but by then he had been passed by the two leaders and others. Sim is however in a large group just three behind the lead.
22 players are within five shots of the lead and the chances don’t necessarily stop there. We have already seen several rounds of 64 this week and another by someone even as far back as 7 or 8 under could well see them close to winning tomorrow.
