Abraham Ancer heads into the final day at the Saudi International with a two-shot lead over American Cameron Young after the Mexican maintained his dazzling form in the desert on Saturday.
A bogey-free third-round six-under-par 64, inspired by some fine iron play with 16 greens reached in regulation, doubled Ancer’s overnight lead over Young.
It looks like a two-horse race with American Matthew Wolff (63), Australia’s Lucas Herbert (67) and Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana (68) in a tie for third, seven shots behind Ancer’s 17-under-par total of 197.
“It was another very solid round with no dropped shots, that’s always my goal,” said Ancer, on target for his first win since the 2021 WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational. “On a golf course like this where it’s blowing pretty good, I’m really, really happy.
“My ball striking has definitely been on, and I’ve been rolling it really nice all week. I have not really focused on what everybody else is doing. Just trying to play the same game I’ve been playing the past three days.”
The par-four 13th is one of the toughest holes on the golf course and it produced a two-shot swing between the leaders when Ancer hit a brilliant second shot that hit the flag and left him with a two-feet birdie putt.
“I just told my caddy that it was a perfect distance, and I was just going to aim on the edge of the green and just hope that the wind takes it. I hit it really nicely and it worked out really good,” recounted Ancer.
Young pulled his tee shot and wound up making a bogey.
On the 14th, Kaewkanjana hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker and ended up making a double-bogey.
With a third 65 in three rounds, Young moved to 15 under par, and said: “I think I’ve played really solidly. Obviously, Abe’s playing some really nice golf. So, I think tomorrow will be fun.”
America’s Jason Kokrak (67) was in sole sixth place at nine under, one ahead of three experienced stars at eight under – England’s Paul Casey (67), Australia’s Marc Leishman (70) and Colombia’s Mito Pereira (65).
South Africans Hennie du Plessis and Branden Grace are both on six under, with countrymen Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel a further shot behind.
© Agence France-Presse
