Leaderboard tight at top for final round of Mena Tour’s Qatar Classic

Several golfers in with a shout of winning the first Qatar Classic

Stephen Dodd, pictured, of Wales is tied with Englishman Lee Corfield for the lead going into the final round of the Mena Tour's Qatar Classic. Pawan Singh / The National

DOHA // England’s Lee Corfield fired a three-under 69 to join Welshman Stephen Dodd at the top of the leaderboard heading into Wednesday’s final round of the Mena Tour’s Qatar Classic at Doha Golf Club.

One shot off the pace overnight, Corfield reeled off four birdies and a bogey to seize joint control of the US$50,000 (Dh183,600) tournament along with Dodd, who fired a tidy 68, blazing with five birdies and a bogey. They are five-under overall.

England’s Zane Scotland, a four-time winner on the tour this season and the Order of Merit leader, matched Dodd’s effort and is a shot back, one ahead of England’s Daniel Owen, who followed his opening 70 with a 71.

Dodd, 47, won the Mena event last week in Abu Dhabi. Between Dodd and Scotland, they have won six of the seven events staged this season.

“It’s a nice position to be in, going into the final round,” said Corfield, a member of the Jamega Pro Golf Tour in the UK. “Both Stephen and Zane have won quite a few times on the tour and obviously they are playing really well. It will be great if I can win tomorrow.”

Dodd, who also won earlier this year in Morocco, said he played nicely.

“Overall, it was a pretty good round. See what tomorrow brings,” said the Welshman, a three-time winner on the European Tour.

The cut was made at seven-over, with 49 professionals and 10 amateurs making to it to the final round.