Author of a 65 (-6) without bogey, Jon Rahm, winner of the Spanish Open in 2018 and 2019, takes control of the tournament. At -16, the Basque is ahead of the Australian Min woo Lee by a small point, also very solid with a 66 (-5) without error. At -13 in total with a 68 (-3) in this Moving Day, Matthieu Pavon, the best Frenchman this week in Madrid, is tied for third place and therefore remains more concerned than ever about winning…
L.V.
John Rahm will he join in the great history of Spanish golf the legendary Severiano Ballesteros, winner of the Spanish Open three times (1981, 85, 95)? The current world No. 6, double winner in 2018 and 2019, is getting down to it, in any case…
The Basque, super solid this Saturday in Madrid with a card without the slightest error of 65 (-6), is indeed at the top of his national Open. With a score of -16 (197), he has a small lead over the Australian Min woo Lee, also very strong today on the Madrid track with a 66 (-5) without error. The two men, already reunited in the first two rounds and again in this Moving Day, will share the last part this Sunday with the South African Louis DeJager, third at -13 with his 65 of the day once again without the slightest deletion on the card. Like Friday already!
The sound of this With @JonRahmp approach ????
He now co-leads in Madrid.
#AccionaOpen pic.twitter.com/DPcFymXqPl— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 8, 2022
Will the victory be decided between the two leading men? Nothing is less sure. Six “hunters” thus occupy third place at -13 (200). And the surprise can obviously come from one of them. Co-leader Thursday evening with a sublime 63 (-8) inaugural, Kiradech Aphibarnrat can be for example this one. The Thai, 68 (-3) this Saturday at Club de Campo Villa, knows how to go about winning on the European Tour. He has already proven this four times between 2013 and 2018 before trying, without much success, his luck on the PGA Tour…
In the lead at the start of this 3rd roundthe Scottish Stephen Gallacher48 years old on November 1st and who was content with a 70 (-1), can also speak about his experience: 622 starts on the DP World Tour (before this week). This ranks the guy even if he has not recorded any top 10 since… March 31, 2019!
What if it was Matthieu Pavon’s Sunday?
Unless the good and happy surprise comes from… Matthew Pavon. The 29-year-old Frenchman, associated with Jon Rahm and Min woo Lee at the very start of the afternoon, showed great strength of character by posting an excellent 68 (-3). Long in the funnel and certainly a little stifled by the presence at his side of the ex-world number 1, the Bordelais nevertheless finished like a cannonball with two final birdies on 17 (thanks to a 10-meter putt on this par 3) and at 18, a par 4 reachable in one with the driver.
Ninth to BMW PGA Championship on September 11, he would take advantage of it, if successful, to unlock his counter on the Tour and would de facto validate his presence in mid-November on the Dubai side for the final bringing together the 50 best players of the season.
For the other tricolor golfers who crossed the cut on Friday evening, it will above all be a question of raising their heads after a difficult round. Whether Joel Stalter gained 13 places on the leaderboard with his very good 68 to grab 41st place at -5, Victor Dubuissondespite his 70, lost two ranks (26th to -7), while Raphael Jacquelin (73), Frederic Lacroix (72) et Mike Lorenzo-Vera (78) drop past the top 40.
Le leaderboard
The leaderboard of other French people
Photo : Getty Images
