Saturday 25 October 2014 16:06, UK
Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen shot a five-under-par 67 on Saturday to ensure he will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the ISPS HANDA Perth International.
Looking for his second European Tour victory, and a first in two and a half years, the Dane mixed six birdies and just a solitary bogey to reach 16 under par and take control at Lake Karrinyup.
Having trailed by one overnight, the 24-year-old now has a three-stroke cushion over nearest challenger Shiwan Kim of Korea (69), while he is a further shot clear of England’s James Morrison (69) in third.
Peter Uihlein made the biggest move of the third round, the American posting a best-of-the-day 65 to climb into fourth on his own at 11-under.
That is one ahead of home hope Richard Green and Scotland’s David Drysdale who share fifth place, but it was a day to forget for another Scot, Peter Whiteford.
Leading overnight, Whiteford needs a top-two finish this week to ensure he retains his card for next season, but the 34-year-old slumped to a three-over 75 as his hopes took a battering.
Things started well enough for him as he birdied the opening hole, but he would then come up with six bogeys, including two in his last three holes, to leave himself with a mountain to climb on Sunday.
But there were no such problems for Olesen who set the tone for an impressive display on ‘moving day’ with three birdies in his first four holes.
He then repeated the feat on the back nine as he picked up strokes at 11, 12 and 14, before dropping his only shot of the round at the par-five 15th.
