– The playing conditions changed at the BMW International Open. A different tournament. The wind disappeared from the Golfclub München Eichenried and the third round was all about birdies. A total of 26 players scored under 70. Anything less than a 69 meant losing ground. Full throttle and no looking back. A day when Ángel Nieto would have thrived. Because yes, today was about going fast to have a chance on Sunday. The best example of this is the leader after the second round. Cinderella Davis Bryant (-12) shot a par round and went from leading alone to being four shots off the lead.
– Iván Cantero (-11) was on a GP today. He shot the round of the day, 65 strokes, and yet it can’t be said he’s fully in the battle for the title. He has a chance, but tomorrow he’ll need a day at least as good as today and some help from behind. His magnificent round has put him in ninth place, five shots behind the leader, Englishman Daniel Brown (-16), another who shot 65. Just like Joost Luiten (-13). In second place is Jordan Smith (-15), who signed for 66 strokes. Lots of birdies. Very low rounds. Little room for error.
Cantero signed a sensational round. He made eight birdies and a solitary bogey. He stayed true to his style. Big drives and steady play. Going for it on the par 5s and short par 4s. With conviction. When he missed, which happened a few times, he recovered very well, but when he hit it right, he capitalised. He made birdies on holes 5 and 16, short par 4s, going for the green, and on 9, hitting a wedge for his second, and on 11, both par 5s. A shame he missed the fairways on 6 and 18, complicating those holes.
In any case, he has shown he can go very low. Tomorrow he’ll need something similar to give himself a chance. It’s about making the most of the holes that suit him. His strategy is clear and it’s working. Would another 65 be enough to win? Well, it depends on what Brown and Smith do, but -18 is a more than interesting score in the clubhouse.
David Puig (-10) is one shot further back than Cantero. Once again, he has shown he can make lots of birdies. He achieved five, also taking advantage of the two short par 4s, 5 and 16. The problem for him was the par 3s. He made bogey on three of the four in the Munich course. A bad day in this area. Three bad shots from the tee. He also missed holes 18 and 11. The first due to a tee shot error that ended in the penalty area, barely getting it back to the fairway, and the second because he wasn’t quite sharp on the approach. Regardless, David has now strung together 27 consecutive rounds on the European Tour playing at or below par. Incredible. And tomorrow he will have an opportunity. If anyone can go low, it’s him.
– Brown (-16) and Smith (-15) are the big favourites for victory. Both are consistent players and know how to win. And they have a margin over third place, at -13 with Luiten, and fourth, with five players at -12. Among them is Rasmus Neergaard Petersen, one of the candidates to snatch one of the five Open spots from Shaun Norris or Daniel Hillier. He needs to be second this Sunday. He’s three shots off the target. A magnificent effort from the Dane. Remember, Cantero would also have a chance by winning, although it would depend on what Norris does in the final round. Calculations would be needed. Hillier, who missed the cut, can’t be caught. Another who has joined the fight is Luiten, but like Cantero, he needs to win and hope for a Norris slip-up.
– Another who made the most of moving day was Rafa Cabrera Bello (-8). He delivered a card of 67 strokes and has moved into the top 20, three shots off the top ten. The Canary Islander made five birdies, a spectacular eagle on hole 9, leaving his ball less than three metres from the hole, and a double bogey on 10, the only error of the day. Another notch on the belt of the Maspalomas golfer’s recovery.
– The rest of the Spaniards went backwards in this third round. Nacho Elvira (-6), Jorge Campillo (-5), Ángel Ayora (-5), and Pablo Larrazábal (-4) couldn’t go as low as required on a day like today.
