Paul Radley
DUBAI // With just 18 holes of the European Tour season still to play, neither of the two remaining storylines have had their endings definitively written yet.
Henrik Stenson’s name can be inscribed on the Race to Dubai in nothing more indelible than pencil going into the last day.
And the likely winner of the 2016 DP World Tour Championship? That remains anyone’s guess, as 11 players are bunched within four shots of Victor Dubuisson’s aggregate of 13-under after Round 3.
Saturday is usually thought of as Moving Day in tournament golf. This time it was more like Wildly Fluctuating Day.
A variety of the tour’s big names went on burners, then fell away almost as quickly as they had started.
Sergio Garcia, for instance, started the day with a one-shot joint-lead over Lee Westwood. By the time each of them had finished the second hole, Garcia was suddenly four shots behind.
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At various points, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Rafa Cabrero Bello, Francesco Molinari, Nicolas Colsaerts, Tyrell Hatton, Westwood, Garcia and Dubuisson held the lead, or at least a part-share of it.
Still conditions and benevolent pins meant low scoring was very manageable. Colsaerts made two eagles.
The enigmatic Belgian went round in 66, even though he also had four bogeys on his card, to finish within one of Dubuisson.
“It’s in my personality to go to both extremes,” Colsaerts said.
“Maybe it’s just a matter of accepting it and knowing that you might do a couple of mistakes, but that when you do play good, it usually turns out quite well.
“When you finish with a birdie on 16 and an eagle on the last, you make quite a decent jump and you realise, hang on, I’m just one shot off the lead.”
Cabrera Bello carded the lowest score of the day, a nine-under 63, one shot off Justin Rose’s course record, and now has designs on the title.
“I knew I needed a low one obviously to catch up with the leaders, but I didn’t expect it this low,” Cabrera Bello said.
“It’s been a very good year for me. I pretty much accomplished every single goal, many of my childhood dreams, as well.
“So I’m just trying to get the third win, and am really happy to have put myself in a position hopefully to do so.”
A 50-minute delay to the start of play because of thick early-morning mist meant Westwood finished in the gloom, but his mood was bright enough as he was just two off the lead.
“It gets dark quick, and I’m not a morning person, so I am very pleased I haven’t got to get up early and come back for a shot,” Westwood said.
In terms of the order of merit race, Alex Noren is highest placed of the four players capable of topping the money list. He is tied for 13th.
He will need a last-day surge if he is to leapfrog first-placed Stenson, though.
Noren is seven-under, and realistically needs at least a runners-up place in the tournament to overtake his compatriot.
“I know if Alex finishes second on his own, I’ve got to be inside the top eight, so that’s kind of the scenario that I’m trying to achieve,” said Stenson, who is tied 22nd, on five-under.
“Obviously it’s a long way for me to be second on my own in case he were to win.
“I’ve just got to keep at it and try and play a good round tomorrow, finish off the week, and we can start counting afterwards.”
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