Callum Tarren will take a slender one-shot lead into the final round of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship after holding off a stellar chasing pack on a roller-coaster third day.
The Englishman went into day three with a two-shot lead but was caught at the summit early on after opening with three straight pars.
His round then burst into life, with birdies at the 4th, 6th and 7th sending him four clear at the top of the leaderboard.
But there were more twists and turns to come as three bogeys in five holes from the 8th allowed countryman Dan Brown to join him at the top.
Tarren was never overtaken on Saturday, though, and finished the day alone at the summit on 13 under par after parring his way home to sign for a level-par 72.
The 34-year-old can take great confidence from his third-round performance as he goes in search of his maiden DP World Tour title on Sunday, having given himself plenty of birdie chances on the back nine.
But he will face strong competition from the high-quality quartet in second place just one shot back – Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal, Italian Francesco Laporta and Englishmen Brown and Brandon Robinson Thompson.
South Africa’s Jacques Kruyswijk is on seven under (T22) after shooting 70 on Saturday, with countryman Casey Jarvis a further two strokes behind.
Tarren made a patient start to his third round, parring the first three holes before picking up a birdie from 12 feet on the 4th hole.
He then curled in another birdie from 21 feet on the 6th to move two clear and found himself four shots in front after taking advantage of the par-three 7th.
After missing the 8th fairway, Tarren was unable to save par there but still took a three-shot cushion into the back nine.
That soon evaporated, though, as he made back-to-back bogeys on the 11th and 12th to return to 13 under, with Brown eventually catching him at the top.
But despite missing good birdie chances at the 14th, 15th and 18th, Tarren finished the day in the lead after making pars at the final six holes.
“I’m a bit frustrated really. I got off to such a good start, felt so comfortable,” he said.
“I just missed a few putts in that mid-section of the round, three-putted the 8th, a short one at the 9th, a good chance at the 10th and didn’t capitalise.
“At the 11th I felt like the tee-shot wasn’t bad, it got a hard kick right, I think. Then it’s tough to that back flag, a short putt on the next.
“And then I kind of hung in there coming in. Frustrated but still in the lead and we’ll go again tomorrow.
“I’ve felt comfortable all week and I felt comfortable out there today. The start showed it – through seven holes I was cruising.
“Just a couple of missed putts here and there but that’s golf. Final group tomorrow again and I have the lead so there’s lots of positives to take from it.”
– Edited report from DP World Tour website
Photo: Warren Little/Getty Images
