Ewen Ferguson (-14) remains the leader of the BMW International Open after the third day, but now shares such a distinguished position with Jordan Smith (-14) and, in addition, his scant booty on the movement day (round of 71 strokes) has done nothing but multiply the threats and candidates for the final round. If today he started with a two-stroke lead over his immediate pursuer and five over the next in the table, on Sunday he will do so tied at the top, as has already been said, and with a total of seven players within a margin of only two strokes. Let’s say that the Scot has missed an interesting opportunity today to maintain and even increase the safety margin.
The tournament is very tight, because even a total of fifteen players who will come out tomorrow within a margin of five strokes with the head in the course of the Golfclub Munchen Eichenried will have to be counted. And why should we count on all of them? What Jens Dantorp (-13) has done today can be a good reason, on a course that is giving you many opportunities if you really play great golf; the Swede was eight strokes from the top, but the 64 he has signed has put him at the top, one stroke from the top and even within the stellar match. Perhaps there are some dantorps waiting for their opportunity tomorrow…
Even so, it does not seem that the two surviving Spaniards from Friday’s debacle, who today have not been able to gain ground, could get into the fight. Alfredo García Heredia (-6) has won the match against the course, but has stayed too far from the leaders. And Manu Elvira (-4) started in the best way, with birdies on holes 1 and 2, but then he was going to show himself too irregular at certain times of the round. However, as is often explained over and over again in these types of situations, these two players have a lot to gain with a final great round. Alfredo needs to really add up in the Race to Dubai, as he is very behind, and Elvira could almost finish, even, the goal of permanence, if he is really able to sign a very low record.
Jordan Smith has been the best of the possible candidates today (round of 66 strokes and a golf full of control). His features are those of an even bigger player than his record says, something similar to what happens to Ferguson, but with the aggravating factor that the Englishman has been even longer on the front line of high competition golf. Neither of them, therefore, is a prodigy when it comes to closing victories. And who knows, perhaps a predator like Patrick Reed (-12), who comes out in the penultimate match, could take advantage of such a lack to finally win a regular calendar tournament of the European circuit for the first time.
