Lee Slattery fires bogey-free 67 to earn two-shot lead at Czech Masters
Sunday 3 September 2017 21:44, UK
Expectant father Lee Slattery will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the D+D REAL Czech Masters after a marathon third day at the Albatross Golf Resort.
Slattery's wife is currently eight days overdue with their second child, but the Englishman kept his focus on his golf as he fired a faultless five-under 67 to hit the front on 12 under par.
The 39-year-old had a significant advantage having managed to finish his second round on schedule on Friday before play was suspended due to a waterlogged course, with over half the field still to complete 36 holes while four groups had not even started their second rounds.
Slattery's 65 had given him the clubhouse lead overnight, but he was surpassed on day three when Chris Hanson added a 66 to his opening 68 to open up a three-stroke advantage on 10 under, with James Morrison four behind in an English one-two-three at the top of the leaderboard.
But having to play 35 holes in one day took its toll on Hanson and many others in the field later in the day, while Slattery enjoyed a morning off before preparing for his third round with his compatriots.
The two-time winner on the European Tour traded birdies with Hanson at the par-five first hole, although Hanson also birdied the second to extend his lead to four before Slattery overtook him in by the turn.
Hanson double-bogeyed the fourth after his drive found the hazard and he dropped another shot at the eighth, while Slattery birdied the sixth and ninth to cap a faultless outward 33 which reclaimed the outright lead.
Hanson regrouped and hit back with birdies at the par-five 10th and 12th as Slattery could make only par at each, but Slattery then rolled in a nice putt for a two at the next while Hanson bogeyed to relinquish the lead once again.
Slattery picked up another shot at 15 following another Hanson error at the 14th, and he safely parred the final three holes in fading light to stay two ahead of South African Haydn Porteous, who made his sixth birdie of the round at the last to post a 67.
"I hit a couple of loose shots on the front nine early on but hit great chips to follow them up and managed to salvage the pars so it kind of kept a bit of the momentum going," said Slattery. "After that I didn't hit anything badly off line, so I didn't really get into any trouble. I felt like I left a couple out there on the back nine but in general it was a pretty flawless round.
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"I think it was very important to have a long rest and get out there today, you could tell towards the end the guys who I was playing with today, Morrison and Hanson, they looked tired, they've had a long day and they made some mistakes towards the end which sort of opened that lead up a little bit."
Hanson looked leaden-footed as he double-bogeyed the last to return a disappointing 75 which left him five strokes adrift of the leader on seven under alongside another English challenger and European Tour debutant, Jonathan Thomson, whose 68 featured five birdies and a double-bogey in an entertaining seven-hole stretch on the back nine.
Callum Shinkwin kept a bogey off his card but could not add to his three front-nine birdies as a 69 lifted him to six under with Morrison, who also appeared to be suffering from fatigue as he bogeyed two of the last five holes to card a 72.
