Jacquelin stretches lead in Madrid
France’s Raphael Jacquelin stretched his lead to five strokes with two early birdies in the third round of the Madrid Open today.
After back-to-back rounds of 64 Jacquelin, four times a runner-up on the European tour without ever winning, returned to Club de Campo on 14 under par and after saving par at the first with a chip to six inches he struck his approach at the 442-yard second to seven feet and then picked up another shot at the short third.
The 31-year-old appeared to be taking a leaf out of the book of John Bickerton, who in Tenerife last week stormed to his first victory by five after five second places.
Unlike Bickerton, though, Jacquelin had to contend with world number 18 Darren Clarke, who remained 11 under with three opening pars.
England’s Gary Emerson was on the same mark and Scot Paul Lawrie was disappointed not to be alongside them.
After birdies at the first and third and 1999 Open champion Lawrie was in a greenside bunker for two at the long fourth, but failed to get up and down.
Compatriot Colin Montgomerie produced the shot of the morning, a driver off the deck to 18 inches for an eagle at the long 14th, his fifth.
Order of Merit leader Montgomerie resumed well down the field on four under and lost further ground with a bogey at the 12th. But following the eagle he birdied the short 17th to be six under.
Anything he earns this weekend can make the 42-year-old’s task easier at the Volvo Masters in two weeks’ time.
Michael Campbell and Retief Goosen are the only two players who can deny him a record eighth money list crown and he is already £90,000 and £207,000 behind, but first prize at Valderrama is over £450,000.
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