Echenique leads after 3rd round of French Open
July 4, 2009
SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP)—Rafa Echenique of Argentina held ontohis lead at the French Open on Saturday, shooting a 1-under 70 for a one-strokeadvantage over Martin Kaymer of Germany after the third round.
The Argentine was at 11-under 202 after starting the day with a two-strokelead on Kaymer.
“Just a little nervous today,” said Echenique, who is seeking his firstvictory on the European Tour. “On No. 1, I missed a putt from one or two feet.I was not relaxed on the first three holes. But after that, I made long putts onthe No. 4 and the No. 5.”
Paul Waring of England had a 68 to climb from seventh to third, two strokesoff the lead and one better than compatriot Seve Benson, who also shot a 68.
Benson had a share of fourth with Richard Green of Australia (70) and PeterHanson of Sweden (70).
England’s Lee Westwood (70) and Ian Poulter (66), four and five strokes backrespectively, also remained in contention.
“I didn’t miss a fairway, I didn’t miss a green so it was prettyflawless,” said Poulter, a runner-up at the British Open last year. “Apartfrom the second shot into the last (hole), which I thought was pathetic, I wasalready thinking about my lunch. … It was pretty clinical.”
Echenique was briefly caught by the chasing pack after the turn when he fellinto a tie for the lead with Waring and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa at 10under.
A runner-up at the BMW International Open in Munich last weekend, Echeniquestarted his third round slowly with a bogey on the first hole.
Waring, ranked No. 130 on the European Tour, hit an approach from the roughthat landed a few feet from the pin on No. 6 and helped him tie Echenique atopthe leaderboard at 9 under.
But Echenique regained a two-stroke lead by sinking two straight birdies,including a 20-foot putt on the fourth.
Another bogey from Echenique on the eighth again cut his lead, allowingSchwartzel to pull even at 10 under with two consecutive birdies.
Waring picked up a shot on the 13th to join them, but he slipped back tothird with a bogey on 14th, the longest hole on the Golf National course.
Schwartzel’s run was marred by three bogeys in four holes, dropping theSouth African to a share of seventh and leaving Echenique in charge.
Kaymer dropped a shot on his first hole, but played solidly the rest of theway. The European Tour’s 2007 rookie of the year sank two straight birdies—after an approach on the sixth that stopped one foot from the cup and a 13-footputt on No. 7.
“There were a lot of very difficult pins today,” Kaymer said. “… Iplayed very safe. It was pretty much my strategy for today and it’s going to bethe same for tomorrow.”
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