Sergio García (-12), Nacho Elvira (-11) and Jorge Campillo (-11) have created a chance for victory at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. Three Spaniards among the top six with 18 holes to go. The festival of our players in the desert continues. It’s true that the situation looked more promising halfway through the third round at the Montgomerie course in Bahrain, but it’s not a matter of turning up our noses at such a promising scenario. There aren’t many weeks in the year where on Sunday we have three Spaniards among the top six.
The target to catch is once again named Calum Hill (-16). The Scot has managed to save the day on what looked like a very bad day. He lost the lead but regained it with two late birdies on holes 14 and 15, allowing him to start tomorrow with a two-shot lead over Freddy Schott (-14), three over Patrick Reed (-13), four over Sergio García (-12) and Grant Forrest (-12), and five over Mikael Lindberg (-12), Nacho Elvira (-11), Jorge Campillo (-11) and Ben Schmid (-11). Logic, which you know doesn’t always prevail, suggests that the victory will be among these gentlemen.
It has been a tough day for Hill, and he has saved it as best he could. The bad news for him is that he still has an even more challenging day ahead this Sunday. He starts again as the leader, having to maintain the advantage, but without complacency, as many birdies are being made and anyone could shoot a round of six, seven, or eight under par tomorrow. Additionally, he will share the leading group with Patrick Reed, a player who takes no prisoners when he’s in contention to win a tournament. By the way, Reed is also signed up to play next week at the Qatar Masters. His main goal is to be one of the ten who secure a PGA Tour card for next year through the Race to Dubai, and that carrot is the worst news for his rivals.
Hill is the one who will determine what can happen this Sunday. If today was the bad day and tomorrow he manages a round of three or four under par, it will be very difficult for the rest. If, on the other hand, he saved the day today but struggles again tomorrow, many players will come into the equation. The Scot has won twice on the DP World Tour, but he is not a man accustomed to these scenarios.
As for the three Spanish contenders, Sergio is playing very much like Sergio. He is incredibly sharp off the tee, a trademark, rarely missing a green, and leaving himself a good handful of birdie chances along the way. If the putter works for him on Sunday, he will be in the fight to win. Otherwise, he will be up there and apply pressure, but it seems difficult for him to win the tournament. He will need a killer day on the greens, especially against a Reed who forgives little and if Hill doesn’t have a terrible day. García shot 68 today, with five birdies and one bogey. He missed delivering the final blow when he was already close to the leaders. Instead of finishing with two or three birdies in the last five holes, he dropped a bogey on the 16th.
Elvira and Campillo shot 69 and 68, respectively. The Cantabrian had a very orderly round. He made five birdies up to the 14th hole and was within reach of the lead, one behind Hill. However, like Sergio, he struggled in the final stretch, with two bogeys on the 15th, after going into the water twice (good bogey) and on the 16th, a treacherous par 3 that cost many strokes. Meanwhile, Campillo was on his way to making the round of the day, with a score of five under through 12 holes, including a great eagle on the 3rd, after hitting an impressive second shot. Just when he got into the battle for everything, he also stalled with two consecutive bogeys on the 16th and 17th. The 16th has caused a lot of damage to the Armada today. Still, he managed to finish with a birdie on the 18th to present his candidacy again.
Alejandro del Rey (-8) has fallen far behind. More or less the same trend as the rest. He finished with two bogeys when he needed two or three birdies to give himself a chance. They came on the 12th and 14th, and he couldn’t recover in the final part. A round of 72 today. Further back are Manu Elvira (-7), with another round of 69, Rafa Cabrera Bello (-6), who shot 69, Eugenio Chacarra (-4), with 71, and Iván Cantero (-2), with 73.
Notice how accessible the day was, with only seven players finishing over par. That’s why Hill’s even-par round was a small gift for the rest.
