Jesper Svensson will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the D+D REAL Czech Masters after shooting a four under 68 on a weather-affected Saturday at PGA National OAKS Prague.
Related: David Ravetto sails on back of 63 for Czech Masters’ lead
Storms in Prague forced a three-hour delay in the middle of afternoon but Svensson remained composed, completing a bogey-free 68 to reach 16 under par.
Second round leader David Ravetto, from France, is one shot behind in second place after a two under 70, while English trio Andrew Johnston, Brandon Robinson-Thompson and Ross Fisher share third place with France’s Adrien Saddier on 14 under.
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The Swedish leader’s round got off to a fine start, driving the first green and making an excellent two-putt from over 70 feet and then adding another birdie from 34 feet at the third.
He parred his way to the turn and birdied the 11th just before the stoppage, returning to pick up another stroke at the 13th.
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The Porsche Singapore Classic winner rescued a wayward 16th tee shot with a chip out onto the fairway and a 311-yard three wood into the heart of the green to set up par and a nerveless two-putt at the last gave him a one-shot lead ahead of a final day surrounded by uncertainty over the weather.
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The 28-year-old currently lies ninth on the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex and a victory tomorrow would see him climb to second on the Rankings as he targets securing dual membership with the PGA TOUR.
With more bad weather forecasted for Sunday afternoon, the final round of the D+D REAL Czech Masters will be a two-tee start U draw, with the final group getting under way at 9:00am local time.
Player quotes
Jesper Svensson: “Just great to be in a good position for tomorrow.
“I didn’t really think about it but managed to stay away from bogeys today, again struck the ball nicely but hopefully the putter’s a bit hotter tomorrow.
“It would be something else. There is still a lot of golf to be played but yeah, that would be nice.”
David Ravetto: “It would mean a lot, it would be a huge step. Obviously we’re all human so I’m thinking about it, but I’m trying not to think about it too much. I’m just trying to enjoy myself, just having fun and see how it goes.”
Andrew Johnston: “It was good. Had to stay very patient today. You know when you get a round like yesterday, everything went in. Everything I looked at went in. It wasn’t the same today so just had to stay very patient. It was nice to finish with a three up the last.
“I made a good up and down on 17 for par after a poor tee shot. To finish with a three always makes dinner taste a bit better.”
Ross Fisher: “First two days was very solid. Drove the ball really, really well. Felt like I had the speed of the greens really nicely and then today was slightly more of a struggle. Probably didn’t drive it as well, but I never really put myself in a poor position. Swing was maybe slightly off and then struggled a little bit with the green speeds. They were a little bit slower when we got back out there at about 3:30pm, but delighted to reel off a few birdies and finished strong.”
Adrien Saddier: “It was a great day. I’ve been playing quite well for the last two months, since we’re back in Europe and I had some good results in the US, so I’ve got confidence in my game. I just rolled the putts in and made a good score today.”
