Chile’s Joaquin Niemann drained a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th to finish one stroke ahead of Americans Peter Uihlein and Caleb Surratt after the third round of the US$5million PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers today.
Related: Peter Uihlein well on course to perfect finish
Niemann has been disappointed with his failure to win over the past three weeks following some underwhelming final rounds but will have a chance to rectify that tomorrow after he fired a six-under-par 65 to lead the way on 17-under.
Uihlein, The International Series Rankings leader aiming to wrap up top spot tomorrow, returned a 66, while Surrat rumbled Riyadh Golf Club with a course-record 61.
England’s Tyrell Hatton (66), and American duo Jason Kokrak (66) and Logan McAllister (67) are a stroke further back, in the season-finale on the Asian Tour and The International Series.
Niemann, joint first-round leader with Uihlein and Australian Cam Smith, started with back-to-back birdies but they dried up after that; unlike Surratt, playing further ahead, who raced to the top of the leaderboard.
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Niemann made his only bogey of the day on nine and was out of the running before bouncing back with birdies on 12 and 13, an eagle on 15, where he chipped in, and that closing birdie.
“After that start, I thought it was going to be one of those days,” said Niemann – who tied for fifth in the Australian Open last week and was equal seventh in the DP World Tour championship the week before.
“Just like Caleb, he played great. I thought it was going to be one of those rounds, and I start hitting, I kept hitting good shots. The putts were just not going in. It was a little bit frustrating.
“I made that bogey on nine, which really kind of frustrated me a little bit more knowing that I was kind of staying behind the leader. Yeah, after that, I knew that there’s a good stretch where you can go low. I did that the first two days too.”
A two-time winner this year individually on the LIV Golf League, where he plays for Torque GC, he is attempting to claim his first 72-hole title since last year’s Australian Open.
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Uihlein, winner of last week’s International Series Qatar, continues to be well placed to win the rankings but will need another strong round tomorrow to fend off his nearest challengers with 1,000 points going to the winner.
Niemann, Surratt, and New Zealander Ben Campbell, who shot 64 today and is four back, are the closest to toppling him at the moment. They need to win tomorrow and hope Uihlein slips down the leaderboard to have any chance.
When asked about tomorrow, he said: “It just depends on the weather. I haven’t seen what the wind is forecasted for tomorrow, but you can go really, really low out here if there’s no wind. I’ll just do the same. Make a bunch of birdies, try to sink some putts. That’s about it.”
Surratt has finished equal third and tied second in his only two appearances on the Asian Tour, both this year, and has a chance to win tomorrow after a spectacular round today made up of an eagle and eight birdies.
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“It was pretty stellar,” said the 20-year-old rookie, who plays for Legion XIII on the LIV Golf League.
“I played really nicely. I might have mis-spoke stellar there. Played great, made a bunch of putts. I haven’t been making very many putts the last two days, but I’ve been hitting it really solid.”
Thailand’s amateur star Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat, on a break from Stanford University studies, shone with a 64, moving up to 12 under, five off top spot.
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Defending champion Abraham Ancer from Mexico is 10 under after a 67 while American John Catlin, who was crowned Asian Tour Order of Merit champion last week, came in with a 70 and is out of the running on six under.
