Scott casts aside distractions at HSBC
BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2011 HSBC Champions Tournament | Round Three | 05 Nov 2011
Fredrik Jacobson continues to lead the WGC HSBC Champions event in Shanghai but Adam Scott served notice that he could well be the one to beat in tomorrow’s final round when he eagled the 18th hole of today’s third round to move within three of the lead.
It had been a tough day for Scott up until that point, his round a roller coaster until a whirlwind finish swept him back in to contention.
Scott may well have been distracted by the furore surrounding the controversy generated by his caddie Steve Williams at a semi private function on Friday night.
A disparaging remark by Williams regarding his former boss Tiger Woods went viral within hours and a lot of focus was on the New Zealander as Scott teed off this afternoon.
Scott slipped to 1 over for the day and 9 under for the tournament through 15 holes but a birdie, birdie, eagle finish has him perhaps on the cusp of what would be an amazing victory given the circumstances.
Scott and Williams both appeared focused on the job at hand and the chemistry between the pair appeared, to the observer at least, unaffected.
If Scott was to win tomorrow it would be the second WGC event of the year for the Queenslander and the second recorded with Williams on the bag.
Jacobson leads by two over a very much resurgent Louis Oosthuizen with Scott one further back with Rory McIlory and Lee Westwood just one shot further back again. McIlory roared into contention with a superb round of 65 to get within striking distance.
The Northern Ireland 22 year old has created an opportunity to make a significant dent in the gap between he and Luke Donald on the European Tour money list and a repeat of today’s performance tomorrow might just be good enough to win his second event in succession.
John Senden is in a share of 22nd position while Aaron Baddeley struggled to a round of 73 and dropped out of contention in 25th position.
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