Commercial Bank Qatar Masters: Campillo Leads After Three Rounds

Spain’s Jorge Campillo tops the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters leaderboard after three rounds, as he looks for a second European Tour title.

Campillo took his maiden victory at the Trophee Hassan II last season, and he is looking to add to that this week at Education City, where he holds the lead at the Qatar Masters for a second night running.

The Spaniard held a share of the lead with Andy Sullivan following the second round of the tournament, but now sits in solo 1st place going into the final round of the event, following a 67 on Saturday afternoon.

The four-under-par round was comprised of six birdied and two bogeys, with a run of five birdies in six holes around the turn. The two bogeys came on the back nine and decreased what could have been a sizeable lead.

Instead, he leads by one from Scotland’s David Drysdale and Denmark’s Jeff Winther. The latter posted a 65 on the third day, while the Scotsman carded a third round of 64 to move to -13, as he aims to win his first Tour event in his 497 starts, the most of any player without a win on the European Tour in history.

Benjamin Poke makes it two Danes inside the top four, as he sits just two shots off the lead going into the final round. He won on the European Tour Qualifying School Final Stage in November and has gone on to become a regular inside the top 30 on the Tour in his first few months. Could this be the week he takes a maiden title?

Pablo Larrazabal could become the first multiple winner on Tour this season if he takes home the W at the Qatar Masters. Thanks to a joint-course record 63 on Saturday, the Spaniard will start the final day just three shots back, and after winning the season-opening Alfred Dunhill Championship in December, he will be aiming for a second victory in four months on Sunday afternoon in Qatar. He sits level with Alexander Björk at -11.

497 events, 0 wins.

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The second the two overnight leaders, Andy Sullivan, carded a one-over round of 72 to drop five shots back from playing partner Campillo on the third day. He is now at -9, joined by the likes of Thomas Detry and countryman Marcus Armitage, another member of the Qualifying School cohort new on Tour for 2020.

Last week’s Oman Open winner, Sami Valimaki, is still in the hunt to win a second European Tour crown in as many weeks. He claimed his maiden win in a playoff at Al Mouj on Sunday afternoon, and he is seven shots back from the lead going into this Sunday’s final round at Education City. If the Finn puts in a low score to beat, it could mean nervy times for the last few groups.

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Reigning Commercial Bank Qatar Masters champion Justin Harding finds himself clinging on to his title. He sits eight shots back and needs something of a miracle if he is to win this tournament for the second season in a row.

There were bad days for Romain Langasque and Joost Luiten on Saturday, with the pair falling away from the lead. They both sat at -9 going into the third round, just a shot off the lead, but are now at -6 and -5, respectively, after carding over-par scores.

England’s Oliver Fisher was also amongst those in a tie for 3rd at the end of the second round, but he could only put together a five-over-par 76 to drop down into a tie for 39th at -4.

Gavin Green, Ross Fisher, and Clement Sordet are among the final few players who remain in the red numbers up to this point, with 69 of the 74 who made it through to the weekend currently sitting under par.

Only four players sit over par following the third round, with Gregory Havret in 77th and last place following an eight-over-par round of 79, which saw him drop from -3 to +5 at the end of the third day.

Back at the top, though, and any of ten or fifteen golfers are in with a chance of winning. Five players sit within three shots of leader Campillo, but as we have already seen this week, scored of 63 are out there. An eight-under-par round from the likes of Valimaki or Thomas Detry could really become a score that challenges the leaders late on Sunday afternoon.

Campillo goes into the final round knowing how to win. He took his maiden title at the Hassan last year, and he has that advantage over the three players behind him.

Drysdale may be experienced, with nearly 500 European Tour events under his belt, but he has never lifted a title, while the Danish duo of Winther and Poke have seen one countryman, in Rasmus Højgaard take a victory in 2020, and will be looking to break through and join their fellow Dane as part of that elite group of players.

Meanwhile, the likes of Pablo Larrazabal and Andy Sullivan have experienced what it takes to win on the Tour plenty of times, with the Spaniard already a victor in the 2020 campaign. They could definitely make it tough for Campillo.

The overnight leader will begin his final round at 11:25 (GMT+3) alongside Drysdale and Winther, with the three-ball of Larazaball, Björk and Poke out in front of them.

Play starts on Sunday at 06:50 (GMT+3), as the French duo of Gregory Havret and Julien Guerrier kick things off on the final day of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, but will we have another new winner on Tour. We will soon find out!

Leaderboard:

1 (-14): Jorge Campillo (ESP)

T2 (-13): David Drysdale (SCO), Jeff WInther (DEN)

4 (-12): Benjamin Poke (DEN)

T5 (-11): Pablo Larrazabal (ESP), Alexander Björk (SWE)

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Selected Others:

T9 (-9): Andy Sullivan (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL)

T15 (-7): Marcus Kinhult (SWE), Thomas Pieters (BEL), Sami Valimaki (FIN)

T21 (-6): Justin Harding (RSA), Romain Langasque (FRA)

T28 (-5): Joost Luiten (NED), Nicolai Højgaard (DEN), Robert MacIntyre (SCO)

T39 (-4): Oliver Fisher (ENG), Benjamin Hebert (FRA), Søren Kjeldsen (DEN)

T51 (-3): Gavin Green (MAS), Ross Fisher (ENG)

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