Fisher bounces back
England’s Ross Fisher recovered from a mid-round wobble to shoot a third successive under-par round and tie for the lead heading into the final day of the Aa St Omer Open.
The Ascot 24-year-old went to the turn in 32 and, at six under, had the outright lead but went bogey, bogey, double bogey from the 11th to seemingly drop out of the running.
However, he responded magnificently with three successive birdies from the 14th to come home with a round of 68 and move alongside Spain’s Carl Suneson on five under.
His good friend James Heath, two years his junior, looked set to hold onto his second-round lead at six under but a double bogey at the 187-yard 17th dropped him back to four under after a round of 73.
Fisher believed his positive approach helped him bounce back from potential disaster just past the turn.
He said: “To do all the hard work, to get to six under, and think I’m in with a shout and then go bogey-bogey-double [bogey] kind of sets you back a little bit but I thought there are still birdies out there.
“At four under (for the front nine) going out I was right up there but you are going to have highs and lows in the round and I had a couple of lows – I hit a good shot and spun off the green at 12 and got a flier from the rough on 13 and had to take a penalty drop but after that I fought back with three birdies.
“It feels really good to have three under-par rounds.
“I didn’t hit a bad shot on the front nine but it was playing totally different to the first two days and it was very tough because it’s not so much hot as humid.”
Heath also had to overcome the odd setback after a couple of double bogeys but he never fell below four under for the round and at two shots adrift he remains in contention.
“I played well in places but got tired towards the end but still I thought it was a good day,” said the 22-year-old, who is mentored by Nick Faldo.
“I’m not happy but I realise I did some really good things out there and just hit some bad shots.
“I’ll just go out tomorrow and do exactly as I did today and hopefully I’ll get a few more bounces.”
Suneson came from nowhere to set the early clubhouse lead after shooting 65, the lowest round of the week.
He began the day one over – seven shots off the lead – but by the 16th he had moved up to six under only to drop a shot at the short 17th.
He did not begin his charge until the 404-yard sixth when a birdie brought him back to level par and signalled a run of a further six birdies in eight holes.
He picked up shots at both front-nine par fives – the seventh and ninth – to turn in 33 and then had birdies at 10, 12, 13 and 14 to briefly join Heath at the summit.
Leeds’ Iain Pyman, a former member of the European Tour, shot a 66 to hold joint third place on four under alongside fellow Yorkshireman James Hepworth, who had a round of 69.
Switzerland’s Raphael de Sousa and Australia’s Adam Groom are also on four under with Welshman Sion Bebb, son of former British rugby union Lion Dewi, a shot back after a 69.
That group includes pre-tournament favourite Gary Orr after a three-under-par 68.
