Joachim B Hansen and Francesco Laporta will share the lead heading into the final round of the AVIV Dubai Championship after matching rounds of 67 at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
The duo entered the weekend one shot off the lead but both made three birdies on the front nine over the Fire Course to turn in a share of top spot with defending champion Antoine Rozner.
Both men held the lead on their own at times on the back nine but when the final putt of the day fell, they could not be separated at 19 under.
Frenchman Rozner was a shot off the lead after a 69, one shot clear of Finn Kalle Samooja, who signed for 68.
England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Australian Min Woo Lee were then at 16 under, a shot clear of Thai Jazz Janewattananond, two-time Major champion Martin Kaymer and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.
Dane Hansen saw his bogey-free run end at 61 holes in round three but put on a long-game masterclass just nine days short of the first anniversary of his maiden European Tour victory at the Joburg Open.
He arrived in Dubai 85th in the Race to Dubai Rankings but is aiming for the top 51 and a third consecutive appearance in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai, as well as potentially making it four Danish wins in the last 10 European Tour events.
“It was very good from tee to green, the best I’ve ever played from tee to green,” he said. “I missed a lot of good chances at the beginning and a few on the back nine. All in all five under is a good score but it could have been a lot better.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow. There is a lot of chances out there so just stay patient and see what happens.”
Ball striking 💯@JoachimBHansen1 described today's round as the best tee to green of his career.#AvivDubaiChampionship pic.twitter.com/Wcjo8RO569
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 13, 2021
Italian Laporta finished in a tie for second at this event last season and is 42 under for his seven rounds over the past two seasons.
While that result was his only top 10 on the 2020 Race to Dubai after finishing top of the European Challenge Tour Rankings in 2019, the 31-year-old has four this term as he looks for his first European Tour victory.
“It was a good day, it was a good fight with the other guys,” he said. “It wasn’t easy this afternoon, it was pretty windy and the greens were getting firmer, so I’m really happy with my score.
“It’s obviously the third round and we were all in contention, so there was more pressure than the other two days. It was windier so it was the toughest day of the week.
“My game is pretty good actually. I didn’t hit the irons very solid like the other two days, so we’re going to work on that this afternoon on the range.”
"How did it not go in?"@lapo10 joins the lead. 🇮🇹#AvivDubaiChampionship pic.twitter.com/CGFIkm6xci
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 13, 2021
Laporta holed from 13 feet at the 1st but overnight leader Rozner managed to keep his nose in front as he made a birdie of his own from around half that distance.
The leader had a three-shot advantage after a spectacular hole out from the fairway for an eagle at the 3rd, but he gave both of those shots back at the par-five 5th after two poor chips and a three-putt from off the green.
Laporta played a lovely pitch at the same hole to set up a birdie and join the lead and there was soon a three-way tie as Hansen, who had good looks at birdie on each of his first four holes, made a two-putt gain from off the green and holed from eight feet at the next.
The 2018 Challenge Tour No 1 made another two-putt birdie on the par-five 7th but Laporta got up and down to also make a gain and, when Rozner put a stunning approach to two feet at the 9th, we had a three-way tie at the turn.
Laporta dropped a shot after missing the green at the 11th and Rozner three-putted from off the putting surface at the 12th, leaving the door open for Hansen to take advantage of an approach to three feet and lead by two.
Rozner and Laporta both got up and down to make the most of the par-five 13th and trim the lead to one and they were in a share after Hansen dropped his first shot in 62 holes at the 15th after missing the green and misjudging his third.
Laporta almost hit the flag and made a birdie to make it a two-shot swing but Hansen drove the short par four 16th and got down in two to once again join him at the top.
Hansen led on his own again after an approach to six feet at the 7th but did well to save par after a poor third at the par-five last, with Laporta and Rozner both making two-putt birdies.
Samooja made a late move after turning in 35 with an eagle from 30 feet at the 7th, two bogeys and a birdie.
He holed a 12 footer at the 10th, drove the 16th and got down in two and then put an approach to 15 feet at the 17th to get to 17 under.
A brilliant pitch-in eagle at the 13th was the highlight of Lee’s 66, while Fleetwood finished his 68 with three birdies having been two over at the turn.
Janewattananond also closed with three birdies to take his total to nine in a 63 that is his lowest European Tour round, while German Kaymer and Wiesbeger both dropped a single shot in rounds of 65 and 68, respectively.
Pole Adrian Meronk matched Janewattananond with a lowest-ever European Tour round of 63 to sit at 14 under alongside English pair Paul Casey and Paul Waring, American Sean Crocker, 2020 Ryder Cup Captain Pádraig Harrington and Italy’s Edoardo Molinari.
– Report from europeantour.com
