Jonathan Caldwell is the best of the Irish at the rain affected Indoor Golf Group Challenge in Sweden as Jeppe Kristian Anderson leads by two shots with half of the third round to be completed tomorrow morning.
Caldwell, after starting on the back nine in round three is currently four-under-par for his third round and seven-under-par in total, in a tie for 34th place but still nine shots off the danish leader Anderson.
Andersen though will take a two stroke lead into the final day of the weather-disrupted event after continuing to impress at Landeryds Golfklubb in Sweden.
The Dane was one of 78 players to return to the course to complete their second rounds on Saturday following the suspension of play on Friday due to a waterlogged course, and he duly added back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th holes to sign for an eight under par round of 63.
The 28-year-old then carded three front nine birdies and just one bogey as he reached the 11th hole of his third round before the claxon sounded with light fading in Vesterby. He leads by two at 16 under par for the week ahead of Swede Jesper Svensson on 14 under par.
Andersen, who will go in search of a maiden Challenge Tour win when he tees it up tomorrow, has been pleased with the quality of his ball striking all week.
“I hit a lot of great golf shots out there, so it couldn’t have been better,” he said. “There were no real mistakes.
“I hit my irons really well and I hit a lot of fairways which is important to do with the greens as firm as they are. Good ball striking and good putting has helped.”
The Dane has played the front nine in 11 under par this week and admits that it has been important to take advantage of the more scoreable holes in Sweden.
“I had four birdies in a row on the front nine yesterday which I hit to within three or four feet,” he added.
“You have one par five which is reachable in two, and the par fours seem short so you have wedges into these greens which makes it easier with them being so firm. The front nine is playing that bit easier.”
Zimbabwean Benjamin Follett-Smith and German Max Rottluff share third place on 13 under par, with Kristoffer Reitan from Norway and Dane Lucas Bjerregaard two shots further back on 11 under par.
Seven players share seventh place on ten under par, including English duo Tom Lewis and Callan Barrow, Swedish trio Christofer Blomstrand, David Nyfjall and Charlie Lindh and Danish duo Sebastian Friedrichsen and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
Dermot McElroy is having a disappointing moving day, sitting four-over par through 15 holes of his third round for a 1-under-par total. Cormac Sharvin and Stuart Grehan both shot valiant under par rounds but it wasnt enough for them to make the cut of two-under-par.
Niall Kearney withdrew after 13 holes of his second round with a back strain and round three resumes at 7:45am local time.
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