Per Langfors carded a stunning round of 64 to top the leaderboard after 54 holes at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth, with home favourite Wade Ormsby securing the 24th and final spot as the format switches from stroke play to six hole match play knockout on Sunday.
Swede Langfors came through all three stages of Qualifying School in 2018 and two rounds of 71 saw him make the first cut of his European Tour career at Lake Karrinyup Country Club.
He went seven shots better in round three to get to ten under par and lead the way from Ireland’s Paul Dunne, Australian Brad Kennedy and Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan.
New Zealanders Ryan Fox and Gareth Paddison, Japan’s Yuta Ikeda and Belgian Thomas Pieters were then at eight under, completing the top eight and securing a bye into the second round when the knockout stage gets under way on Sunday.
England’s Ben Evans, Australians Daniel Gale, Matt Jager and Min Woo Lee, Thai Jazz Janewattananond and Frenchman Clément Sordet got to seven under par to secure their match play spots.
There were 11 players at six under par and they played off for the final ten spots, with England’s Tom Murray the odd man out after double-bogeying on his second trip up the 18th.
Ormsby looked to be the man heading home when he found two bunkers and a plugged lie on the first play-off hole but he made an incredible 40-foot putt for bogey to set up a head-to-head with Murray.
Grégory Bourdy, Benjamin Campbell, Steven Jeffress, Robert MacIntyre, Andrew Martin, Adrian Otaegui, Panuphol Pittayarat, Connor Syme and Scott Vincent also advanced from the play-off.
Match play round one draw
Match 1: Daniel Gale v Adrian Otaegui
Match 2: Grégory Bourdy v Min Woo Lee
Match 3: Benjamin Campbell v Clément Sordet
Match 4: Scott Vincent v Wade Ormsby
Match 5: Matt Jager v Andrew Martin
Match 6: Robert MacIntyre v Connor Syme
Match 7: Steven Jeffress v Jazz Janewattananond
Match 8: Panuphol Pittayarat v Ben Evans
Player quotes
Per Langfors:
“It feels really good. Excited for the match play, we’ll see what happens there. I played match play last year on the Nordic League. I think I remember how to do it. Just got to stay focused and I’m going to keep doing what we’re doing.
“I’ve got Q‑School status from last year, so obviously a win would mean the world to me. At the moment I don’t get into Rolex Series events, so obviously would be nice.
“I turned pro four years ago, this is my fifth year. Played four years on the Nordic League in Sweden, so it’s big step to the European Tour. Obviously a big step to being in the lead as well.”
Paul Dunne:
“I like the idea of the format. I played at GolfSixes, the six‑hole match play. It’s intense, which is good. You don’t always get a final few holes feeling on the third hole of the day. I think it will be mentally sharp right from the get‑go in the morning and just try and make as many putts as you can.
“I like the competitiveness of it where you play against someone apart from just playing against the course the whole time. Match play, it’s a funny gig. It’s the best format if you get a bit of momentum, and if you’re struggling for momentum, it just feels like you’re down the whole time. I feel like getting off to a good start is a big help.”
Kristoffer Reitan:
“It was hard yesterday. I didn’t feel really good after that round, but I’m really glad I managed to turn it around. I played even better today than the first day, so I was really happy with that.
“I mean, I’m just really trying to get my card for next year, that’s my main goal for this season. A good result here would definitely help me, for sure.
“It’s tough, it’s a lot of traveling, but I’m really enjoying everything about it. This is where I want to be. I want to be out there with the best guys, best players. So yeah, I’m really enjoying it.”
Round three scores
206 P Langfors (Swe) 71 71 64,
207 P Dunne (Irl) 73 68 66, B Kennedy (Aus) 68 70 69, K Reitan (Nor) 65 77 65,
208 R Fox (Nzl) 68 68 72, G Paddison (Nzl) 70 71 67, T Pieters (Bel) 70 66 72, Y Ikeda (Jpn) 74 68 66,
209 D Gale (Aus) 69 72 68, C Sordet (Fra) 71 67 71, M Lee (Aus) 70 69 70, B Evans (Eng) 72 68 69, M Jager (Aus) 69 68 72, J Janewattananond (Tha) 71 70 68,
210 A Otaegui (Esp) 70 68 72, A Martin (Aus) 70 71 69, P Pittayarat (Tha) 70 66 74, S Vincent (Zim) 70 71 69, G Bourdy (Fra) 69 73 68, C Syme (Sco) 73 67 70, R Macintyre (Sco) 70 67 73, W Ormsby (Aus) 73 69 68, B Campbell (Nzl) 67 71 72, S Jeffress (Aus) 70 69 71, T Murray (Eng) 71 70 69,
211 J Zunic (Aus) 70 71 70, D Fox (Aus) 73 68 70, S Kapur (Ind) 73 70 68, J Harding (RSA) 71 69 71, J Scrivener (Aus) 70 73 68, B Henson (USA) 71 67 73, A Connelly (Can) 71 70 70, D Lawson (Aus) 69 70 72,
212 M Griffin (Aus) 69 67 76, J Campillo (Esp) 73 67 72, P Lonard (Aus) 72 71 69, M McCardle (Aus) 73 69 70, S Hend (Aus) 74 68 70, C O’Reilly (Aus) 72 69 71, B Ritthammer (Ger) 71 70 71,
213 T Pilkadaris (Aus) 70 73 70, Z Murray (Aus) 72 71 70, M Tabuena (Phi) 65 78 70, S Chawrasia (Ind) 68 74 71, N Flanagan (Aus) 68 75 70, S Kim (USA) 72 68 73,
214 D Beck (Aus) 72 69 73, N Colsaerts (Bel) 74 68 72, M Hoey (Nir) 68 72 74, Y Chang (Kor) 70 70 74, G Forrest (Sco) 74 65 75, J Younger (Aus) 74 69 71, M Hendry (Nzl) 73 70 71, H Endycott (Aus) 71 72 71,
215 P Fowler (Aus) 73 69 73, P Meesawat (Tha) 70 73 72, A Saddier (Fra) 73 70 72, C Crawford (Aus) 74 68 73, R McEvoy (Eng) 67 70 78,
216 A Dodt (Aus) 74 69 73, J McLeod (Aus) 71 72 73, J Wang (Kor) 70 72 74,
218 D Bransdon (Aus) 71 72 75, T Lewis (Eng) 73 70 75, A Quayle (Aus) 70 73 75, D Gavins (Eng) 74 69 75,
