European Ryder Cup captain, Padraig Harrington sprung a barnstorming finish to make a significant move up the leaderboard on day three of the Porsche European Open.
Harrington was tipping along at even par through 15 holes before a hat-trick of birdies daw him sign for a three-under par 68 as the three-time major winner moved to minus-three for the tournament, just outside the top-10.
That’s enough to head the Irish challenge in Hamburg although Gavin Moynihan did enjoy a better day this morning at Green Eagle Golf Courses.
The Dubliner fired his first round in the red this week, a one-under par 71 to move just outside the top-30 on the board at plus-one.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the move Michael Hoey would’ve envisaged making today; the Ballymoney professional dropping back to four-over par after posing a disappointing 75 on Saturday.
At the top of affairs, Bernd Ritthammer could become the first German to win on home soil in more than a decade after moving into a share of the lead after round three.
The 32-year-old started the day four strokes behind Robert MacIntyre, who is enjoying a fine rookie season on the European Tour, taking advantage of the Scot’s struggles on the demanding Porsche Nord Course at Green Eagle Golf Courses in Hamburg.
The pair share the lead after rounds of 70 and 74 respectively, with both players birdieing the 18th hole to move to nine under par, setting the stage for a thrilling final round. Ritthammer, aiming for his first victory on the European Tour, would be the first German player to win at home since Martin Kaymer achieved that feat in Munich in 2008.
MacIntyre, currently 15th on the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex, has two runner-up finishes to his name this season, at the Betfred British Masters and Made In Denmark presented by FREJA, and a sixth-place result at The Open. The 23-year-old is bidding for his first victory on just his 24th European Tour start.
Four-time Ryder Cup player Paul Casey is just one stroke behind in his quest to secure a 14th European Tour title on eight under par, after a three under round of 69. The Englishman is one ahead of Pablo Larrazábal and Matthias Schwab who share fourth on seven under par. Larrazábal is no stranger to success on German soil, having won two of his four titles there.
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