EUROPEAN TOUR: IF IT'S happy endings you're after, the odds are you'll find one at St Andrews today. While English eyes will be focused on Luke Donald and willing the overnight leader to end his three and a half year wait for a win, there'll be a clutch of Irishmen trying to force him to wait a little longer – all of whom have their own reasons for believing it's their time.
Donald’s 64 at Kingsbarns yesterday means he’ll tee it off in the delayed final round of the Dunhill Links Championship one shot ahead of playing partner Rory McIlroy, whose rise to the top of the European money list will end with a second place finish or a win.
The 20-year-old isn’t the only one from the Holywood household in pursuit of silverware. On his 50th birthday, his dad Gerry will endeavour to make it a father and son double in the pro-am team event, but at joint 15th he needs a storming round to make up nine shots on Kieren McManus on 31 under.
McIlroy has every reason to be confident after a 65 at St Andews on Friday, but Kingsbarns was there for the taking yesterday, as Donald’s 64 and Darren Clarke’s 67 proved.
“I had a great start,” he said. “I eagled the third to go two under through three but then I made three bogeys on the front nine and was quite relieved to see one go in on nine to shoot even par on the front.
“The back nine was very solid, I struggled with my pace on the greens all day. I just couldn’t get used to these green at all.
“I could have been a few better, I’m 14 under and I played great a St Andrews a couple of days ago so hopefully I can do the same again.”
Clarke would have been level with the youngster had he not bogeyed the last but the Dungannon man is level with Michael Hoey, whose 70 at St Andrews came courtesy of four birdies and two bogeys.
The Ballymoney golfer’s only Tour win came in the Estoril Open in Portugal in April but the €529,000 winners cheque on offer today would double that and comfortably surpass his career earnings since he turned pro in 2002.
Clarke’s wait for a win of this magnitude is nearly as long. The Ryder Cup star tasted victory twice last year – in the KLM Open and the BMW Asian Open – but they were nowhere near the prestige of the Dunhill.
Somewhat adrift, but by no means out of it, is Paul McGinley. A 69 at Kingsbarns left him 11 under and, after expertly leading Britain and Ireland to victory in the Vivendi Trophy, a first solo win since the 2005 Volvo Masters would surely receive a warm welcome at the home of golf.
At nine under, Graeme McDowell will need a big round to take the big prize but the former Scottish Open champion is well-placed after a 68 at St Andrews.
Damien McGrane and Gareth Maybin are six under after a 68 and 71 at St Andrews respectively, while Gary Murphy (69) and Pádraig Harrington scraped into the final day on four under, the latter after a 72 at Kingsbarns.
Peter Lawrie (two under) and Shane Lowry (five over) miss out on the final day.
