Rafa, Webster in lead as exciting climax nears

Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello in action on day three of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters at the Doha Golf Club yesterday. PICTURE: Jayaram

By Satya Rath/Doha

For the second straight year, the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters seems to be heading for an exciting climax.

Last year, it was a three-way tussle between Chris Wood, Sergio Garcia and George Coetzee going into the final moments of the game when a pressure-packed eagle putt on the last hole sealed a maiden European Tour title for Englishman Wood.

This year, the situation looks even more complex, going by the topsy-turvy rounds witnessed over the last three days in the 17th edition of the European Tour event at the Doha Golf Club here.

After yesterday’s penultimate round, two players shared the top spot at 12-under each, three were tied for second a stroke behind, while a further stroke back, tied for third at 10-under were as many as five names. The trend continued a long way down — with just four shots separating the top 19 players — predicting a final day tussle which could go down to the wire.

Overnight leader Rafa Cabrera-Bello, carrying a two-shot cushion going into the third day, was joined by Steve Webster at the top of the leaderboard. It was not a good day for the Spaniard, who, after starting with a birdie on the second, dropped two shots in the last six holes to card a poor 73, after shooting 66 and 65 on the first two days.

“It was a tough day today. The wind suddenly picked up and made things difficult. Overall, I don’t think I played that bad, but I just couldn’t manage to score. I didn’t quite make the putts and struggled here and there with my chipping, because of the wind. The positive thing is I still managed to get a not-so-good round out of the way and I think I am still in a fantastic position going into the final day,” Cabrera-Bello said.

England’s Webster, three strokes behind Cabrera at tied-third overnight, had a poor start and went two-over after five holes before playing the remaining 13 in four-under to return a 70 and join Cabrera-Bello on 12-under-par.

“That wasn’t pretty,” admitted Webster, who started the tournament with an albatross on his very first hole on Wednesday. “I hit it really well on the range and I think I got a bit cocky on the course and hit so many bad shots the first six or seven holes. It was like I had never played golf before.”

Webster was six shots off the pace after his poor start but picked up shots on the seventh, 11th, 14th and 15th to boost his chances of a third European Tour title. “On the back nine I gave myself a few chances and I knocked in a really good putt on 11 which made things feel a little better,” the 38-year-old added. “The pins were tucked away a bit today and that’s why the scores have pretty much stayed the way they were.”

On a day of low scores, one man who towered over all others was French youngster Adrien Saddier. The 21-year-old, who turned pro only in July last year and is currently ranked a distant 720 in the world, shot a blazing 64 – after rounds of 70 and 71 over the last two days — in just his fourth European Tour event as a professional. That was four shots better than anyone else and lifted Saddier 42 places up the leaderboard into a share of third place at 11-under, alongside Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen and South African Thomas Aiken.

Saddier birdied the par-five first before carding seven threes in succession, five of them birdies with two pars. That took him to the turn in 30 and further birdies on the 10th and 12th followed before a run of six pars completed a superb round.

“It was a great round, it was very satisfying. Coming from the Qualifying School I need some good results so it feels great to shoot a 64. I finished 2013 very well and I am starting 2014 well too. I only turned professional in July so my only aim this year is to keep my card,” Saddier said.

He said he learnt a lot from Webster, with whom he played the first two rounds. “In the long game we were pretty similar but he putted better, so I thought if I can make some good putts I can do the same as him. I putted great today. If I can continue the same way tomorrow, it’s going to be good. I plan to take it shot by shot, try to make some good putts and we will see,” Saddier added.

As many as 17 players are within four shots of the lead, including two-time winner Paul Lawrie (10-under) and his Ryder Cup teammate Sergio Garcia (nine-under). Lawrie, a two-time champion here (1999 and 2012), carded a 69 thanks largely to three birdies in four holes around the turn, while the highlight of Garcia’s 69 was an eagle from 40 feet on the par-five 10th.

Leading scores (after Rd 3)

204 - Rafa Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 66-65-73, Steve Webster (ENG) 65-69-70

205 - Adrien Saddier (FRA) 70-71-64, Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 68-69-68, Thomas Aiken (RSA) 67-68-70,

206 - Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR) 69-69-68, Paul Lawrie (SCO) 67-70-69, Mikko Ilonen (SWE) 68-67-71, Johan Carlsson (SWE) 69-65-72, George Coetzee (RSA) 64-69-73

207 - Sergio Garcia (ESP) 71-67-69, Kristoffer Broberg (SWE) 69-68-70, Dawie Van der Walt (RSA) 65-72-70, Branden Grace (RSA) 67-69-71

208 - Seve Benson (ENG) 68-71-69, Darren Fichardt (RSA) 69-70-69, Peter Uihlein (USA) 70-69-69, Simon Dyson (ENG) 68-69-71, Matthew Baldwin (ENG) 68-66-74, Francois Calmels (FRA) 66-70-73, Romain Wattel (FRA) 67-68-74