Van Zyl pulls clear in Paris
South Africa’s Jaco van Zyl emerged from a crowded leaderboard to set the pace in the Alstom Open de France at Le Golf National on Saturday.
Eight players shared the lead, with another seven just one shot behind, early in the third round as the players made the most of easier scoring conditions at the 2018 Ryder Cup venue.
But Van Zyl, who had already picked up shots on the third and fifth, then separated himself from the pack with three birdies in a row from the ninth, all of them from less than six feet.
Here's the swing that leads going into the final day of the #AlstomODF. http://t.co/eMEIoaCnwn
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 4, 2015
At eight under par the 36-year-old led by two shots from Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger and English trio Tyrrell Hatton, James Morrison and Mark Foster, with overnight joint leaders Martin Kaymer and Rafael Cabrera-Bello a further shot back.
Home favourite Victor Dubuisson, who also began the day in a share for the lead, was four off the pace after two birdies and two bogeys in a front nine of 36.
Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee had already set the clubhouse target on four under after a third round of 65 which began with six straight birdies, just two short of the European Tour record.
The former paratrooper’s charge stalled with a bogey on the eighth but he picked up further birdies on the 12th and 15th before missing a short putt to bogey the 16th.
South African duo Trevor Fisher and Jake Roos were also in the clubhouse on three under par after rounds of 65 and 66 respectively.
Foster holed from 10 feet for birdie on the 16th to close the gap to a shot, but ran up a double bogey on the 17th after missing the green with his approach and compounding the error with three putts.
And a bogey on the last meant the Worksop professional had to settle for a round of 68 and share of the clubhouse lead with Jaidee.
Hatton carded his fourth birdie of the day on the 14th to get within one of the lead only to see his drive on the 15th bound into the water, where playing partner Kaymer amazingly avoided the same fate after his ball hit a red post marking the edge of the hazard.
Germany's Max Kieffer, who has not missed a cut in any of his 17 European Tour events this season, claimed a share of the lead with his fourth birdie in the space of six holes on the 17th.
But the impressive Van Zyl responded with his sixth birdie of the day on the 16th to regain the lead at nine under, with Kieffer then making par at the last to finish eight under after a flawless 65.
Playing partner Wiesberger also put the finishing touches to a fine 66 to end the day on seven under.
