5/26/2012

Lawrie and Donald Battle on Course


Peter Lawrie reached three under par through twelve holes and for a moment claimed the outright lead of the round three of the BMW PGA Championship on Saturday, setting the pace at 12 under - edging ahead of World Number Two Luke Donald.

Donald also wasted little time claiming a share of the lead during the third round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club.

While overnight leader James Morrison struggled with a bogey at the first and a triple-bogey eight at the fourth, Donald birdied the latter to move to nine under par.

That took The Race to Dubai champion into a share of top spot with Scotland’s David Drysdale.

Morrison, who was off the green in four, duffed a chip then two-putted the long fourth, was back to eight under and faced a real test of character to try and remain in contention.

The former England Youth cricketer - he played with Alastair Cook and Tim Bresnan - had gone round in a sparkling 64 on Friday to take charge of the European Tour's flagship event.

Donald, needing a top-eight finish to go back to World Number One after Rory McIlroy's second successive missed cut, was bunkered on the first, but saved par from 12 feet.

He was then on in two at the fourth and two-putted to move to nine under, while Drysdale, 291st on the Official World Golf Ranking and yet to win a European Tour event, made a 12 footer on the short second.

David Drysdale also found trouble either side of the turn , with a quadruple  bogey on the eighth  knocking him back down the field.

Course re-designer Ernie Els was moving into the picture, birdies at the fourth and sixth helping him to reach five under with four to play.

The best early score was a 69 from Ian Poulter that took him to three under, while Lee Westwood had a 70 that included six birdies, but also a 30 foot putt for a triple-bogey seven on the 13th, where he twice left shots in a fairway bunker and had a penalty drop in between. 

Things did not get better for Morrison. He was bunkered on the short fifth and bogeyed, then had another eight - this time a quadruple bogey - after going in the water on the eighth.

From 12 under he had dropped to three under and from four clear had tumbled seven behind new leader Lawrie, who birdied the eighth and tenth to reach ten under.

The Dubliner led Donald by one and Rose by two, but Drysdale was twice in the lake at the eighth, also took eight and on five under was down to joint fifth.

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