FRANCE’S VICTOR PEREZ hit a hole-in-one on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final day of the European Open in Hamburg as he bids for back-to-back wins.
Perez, winner of a play-off for the Dutch Open last Sunday, was two shots off England’s Jordan Smith overnight but got off to a flying start at Green Eagle Golf Courses with a birdie on the first and hole-in-one on the second.
The 29-year-old also hit two birdies and three bogeys in a round of 71 for a five-under-par total, to sit a stroke clear of Swede Joakim Lagergren and fellow Frenchman Julien Brun, who also carded 71s.
“It was a perfect six iron for me, a little draw against the left-to-right breeze,” Perez said.
“I birdied the first and was trying to hit a good shot, I was just trying to bounce it up, which it ended up doing. I didn’t see it, I just heard people clapping, so it was a great bonus.”
Lagergren fell behind with a double bogey on the 16th and dropped another shot on the last, with Brun losing out with a double bogey on the 18th.
A further shot back, Holland’s Wil Besseling and China’s Li Haotong are on three under. Overnight leader Smith’s 77 dropped him four shots off the pace.
Perez can claim a third career title on Sunday, while also securing one of the 10 places available in the US Open from the European Qualifying Series.
“(My confidence) is quite high I’d say,” he said. “I won last week, I’m in a great position this week.
“Last Sunday I was really nervous. I hadn’t been in that situation with the lead. I’m very happy with the experience from last week that I can draw on and I know what I need to do – it’s a matter of execution and doing it.”
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Victor Perez hits hole-in-one to lead European Open
FRANCE’S VICTOR PEREZ hit a hole-in-one on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final day of the European Open in Hamburg as he bids for back-to-back wins.
Perez, winner of a play-off for the Dutch Open last Sunday, was two shots off England’s Jordan Smith overnight but got off to a flying start at Green Eagle Golf Courses with a birdie on the first and hole-in-one on the second.
The 29-year-old also hit two birdies and three bogeys in a round of 71 for a five-under-par total, to sit a stroke clear of Swede Joakim Lagergren and fellow Frenchman Julien Brun, who also carded 71s.
“It was a perfect six iron for me, a little draw against the left-to-right breeze,” Perez said.
“I birdied the first and was trying to hit a good shot, I was just trying to bounce it up, which it ended up doing. I didn’t see it, I just heard people clapping, so it was a great bonus.”
Lagergren fell behind with a double bogey on the 16th and dropped another shot on the last, with Brun losing out with a double bogey on the 18th.
A further shot back, Holland’s Wil Besseling and China’s Li Haotong are on three under. Overnight leader Smith’s 77 dropped him four shots off the pace.
Perez can claim a third career title on Sunday, while also securing one of the 10 places available in the US Open from the European Qualifying Series.
“(My confidence) is quite high I’d say,” he said. “I won last week, I’m in a great position this week.
“Last Sunday I was really nervous. I hadn’t been in that situation with the lead. I’m very happy with the experience from last week that I can draw on and I know what I need to do – it’s a matter of execution and doing it.”
Leading third round scores on Saturday in the DP World Tour European Open at Green Eagle Golf Courses in Hamburg, Germany (Par 72):
211 – Victor Perez (FRA) 69 71 71
212 – Joakim Lagergren (SWE) 67 74 71, Julien Brun (FRA) 69 72 71
213 – Wil Besseling (NED) 68 75 70, Li Haotong (CHN) 67 75 71
214 – Justin Walters (RSA) 70 75 69
215 – Niklas Noergaard Moeller (DEN) 74 67 74, Daan Huizing (NED) 69 75 71, Richard Mansell (ENG) 72 71 72, Jordan Smith (ENG) 70 68 77
216 – Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 75 72 69, John Catlin (USA) 71 73 72, Alexander Knappe (GER) 73 70 73, Jason Scrivener (AUS) 70 73 73, Edoardo Molinari (ITA) 74 72 70, Lukas Nemecz (AUT) 73 73 70
217 – Brandon Stone (RSA) 76 68 73, Johannes Veerman (USA) 72 71 74, Masahiro Kawamura (JPN) 74 69 74, Matti Schmid (GER) 70 75 72, Richard Sterne (RSA) 70 74 73
218 – Wu Ashun (CHN) 74 70 74, Adrian Otaegui (ESP) 72 71 75, Kalle Samooja (FIN) 72 72 74, Matt Wallace (ENG) 74 74 70, Matthew Southgate (ENG) 73 72 73, Julien Guerrier (FRA) 69 73 76, Yannik Paul (GER) 74 71 73, Espen Kofstad (NOR) 75 71 72, Marcel Siem (GER) 71 72 75
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