Advantage Fisher and Pepperell as thrilling finale looms in Doha

A final day thriller is in the offing with Englishmen Oliver Fisher and Eddie Pepperell well-placed for victory and a host of others hoping to gatecrash their party in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.
While Pepperell is looking for his first career title, Fisher is aiming for his second win on the European Tour since 2011.
At yesterday’s third round, Fisher reeled off eight birdies, out of which four came on consecutive holes, to end the day with a superb 65 to sit level with Pepperell on 16-under 200 on a cold but calm day at Doha Golf Club.
The USA’s Sean Crocker is two shots behind on 202 while a bunch of five players on 204 also fancy their chances.
“I’m very pleased with my day today and looking forward to tomorrow,” said Fisher, who last won on the European Tour in 2011 at Czech Open, six years after becoming the youngest Walker Cup player at the age of 16.
“The important thing for me is to make sure I give myself enough time with things, to make sure I’m aware of what I’m doing and try and enjoy it as much as I can, I did that today. My caddie was great. I gave myself some chances coming in and thankfully I made them,” the 29-year-old said.
“We’ve still got one round to go, a lot of golf to be played out there. I’m good friends with Eddie so hopefully we’ll have a bit of fun out there,” he said.
Pepperell took a share of top spot on the first hole and maintained that position until Fisher finished with four birdies in a row to card a 65 and set the clubhouse target at 16 under.
He chipped in for a remarkable bogey on the 12th after hitting the rocks in front of the green three times but he would soon lose his lead to a sensational finish from Fisher.
Pepperell then fought back with birdies on the 16th and 18th in his 66 to move two ahead of Crocker, who is two strokes back at the end of the round, representing the English duo’s closest challenge. 
The pair has not enjoyed the best of starts to the season, with six missed cuts from 10 combined events, but they found their form in Qatar. Final-hole birdies for both the leaders highlighted their coolness, while a solitary bogey apiece showed their consistency.
“I would say that was my best round, especially with the position I was in going into the day. I hit a lot of good shots, I maybe lost a little feeling through the turn, but I bounced back nicely and I didn’t let it bother me,” said Pepperell.
The 27-year-old has been working with a new coach recently and it looks to be paying rewards as he shares the lead after 54 holes for the second time at a European Tour event.
“That’s a nice score on a Saturday and coming down the last few holes, certainly down the last seeing Oli on 16 under, I didn’t want to finish behind the leader so I’m happy to be at least tied.”
David Horsey started with an eagle en-route to matching Fisher’s score (-6) for the day, leaving him four adrift, while Adrian Otaegui, who began the day in the lead is now five shots back after a disappointing 73.
Italian duo Lorenzo Gagli and Andrea Pavan, Frenchman Grrgory Havret and Swede Marcus Kinhult were then two shots further back at 12 under. Gagli had also shared the lead after birdies on the second, fourth, fifth, ninth and tenth but parred his way home in a bogey-free 67. Pavan had a birdie-birdie-birdie finish as he also posted a 67, Kinhult eagled the 16th and birdied the last en-route to the same score, while Havret made a single bogey in his 70. Spanish duo Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Pablo Larrazabal, English pair James Morrison and Chris Wood, Swede Joakim Lagergren, Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera and Japan’s Hideto Tanihara are at 11 under.
MENA Golf Tour professional Josh White of England, who qualified by winning the professional division of the 2018 Qatar Open, has performed superbly. Having made the cut with rounds of 67, 73, White shot an impressive third round of 69 yesterday to sit in a share of the 43rd place at seven under par.
The final round gets underway at Doha Golf Club at 6.30am with the lead group of Oliver Fisher, Eddie Pepperell and Sean Crocker teeing off at 8.30am.