GOLF – PATRICK Reed is in pole position to pick up his second victory of the DP World Tour season as he took a two-shot lead into today’s fourth and final round of the Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club.
The American entered yesterday’s third round with a one-shot cushion at the top of the leaderboard and he extended his advantage after posting a bogey-free 70 to move to 14-under-par, two ahead of Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen.
The four-time DP World Tour winner will look to cement his place atop the International Swing rankings following his first Rolex Series win at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic a fortnight ago and a tied-runner-up finish at last week’s Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.
Reed made two birdies at the second and the par-five 10th alongside 16 pars in his blemish-free round.
The 35-year-old had his overnight lead cancelled out after playing partner Joakim Lagergren birdied the first, before both players made a gain at the second, while a third birdie at the sixth hole took the Swede in front.
Lagergren bogeyed the eighth after finding the water and Reed birdied the 10th to restore his single-shot advantage. Lagergren dropped shots at the 11th, 14th, and 16th to leave him four off the pace going into the final round.
“The golf game feels good, it feels solid, it feels steady, and really just got to go out there and keep the foot on the gas tomorrow, get off to hopefully a faster start than today, and see where it goes,” said Reed.
“Really the only time I felt actual stress would have been on 13, that iron shot – that par-three is already hard as it is. It was a perfect number where I felt like if I hit my normal shot shape it’s going to be working so hard left because of the wind.”
Denmark’s Olesen was one over for his front nine but five birdies coming home, including three in the last four holes, ensured he will tee it up in the final group alongside Reed tomorrow as he goes in search of a maiden DP World Tour win.
Spaniard Angel Ayora posted a two-under-par round of 70 to move into third position alongside Kiwi Daniel Hillier on 11-under-par, while Oliver Lindell, Gregorio De Leo, David Micheluzzi, and Lagergren are a shot further back in a share of fifth.
Scotland’s Calum Hill, runner-up alongside Reed in Bahrain last week, and Antoine Rozner each shot 66 to reach nine-under-par alongside Sebastian Soderberg, who carded the lowest round of the day of 65. Alongside them on that total were Dan Bradbury, Kazuma Kobori, and Johannes Veerman.
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