Italian Open: Nicolai Hojgaard moves one ahead of Tommy Fleetwood and Daniel van Tonder
Nicolai Hojgaard carded a round-of-the-day 65 to move one ahead at the Italian Open, with Fleetwood and Daniel van Tonder a shot off the pace - watch the final round live on Sunday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Mix and via the red button on Sky Sports Golf
Monday 6 September 2021 00:52, UK
Tommy Fleetwood remains in contention to end his 22-month winless run after moving within a shot of the lead heading into the final round of the DS Automobiles Italian Open.
Fleetwood mixed five birdies with a lone bogey on his way to a four-under 67 at Marco Simone Golf Club, taking him 12 under and a single stroke behind 54-hole leader Nicolai Hojgaard.
The five-time European Tour winner, without a win since the 2019 Nedbank Golf Challenge, is joined in tied-second by South Africa's Daniel van Tonder, with Mikko Korhonen two off the pace in fourth ahead of overnight leader Min Woo Lee.
Fleetwood opened with eight straight pars before following a close-range birdie at the par-five ninth by making a two-putt birdie from 30 feet at the 12th to make a move up the leaderboard.
The Englishman rolled in from 10 feet at the 14th for the first of third straight birdies to briefly jump into a share of the lead, only to miss an eight-footer to save par at the par-three 17th and fall one behind.
Hojgaard made 10-foot birdies at the fifth and seventh and added back-to-back gains from the 11th, before the Dane fired an incredible tee shot into the driveable par-four 16th to set up a four-foot eagle and help him set the clubhouse target.
Victory for Hojgaard would be the first time in history that siblings had won in successive weeks on the European Tour, following his twin brother Rasmus claiming a one-shot success at the Omega European Masters on Sunday.
The 20-year-old briefly had Van Tonder alongside him on 13 under after the South African made three birdies on a five-hole stretch on his back nine, before dropping a shot off the pace after a three-putt bogey at the par-five last.
Live European Tour Golf
Victor Perez, among the players still able to qualify for Europe's Ryder Cup side, carded a final-hole eagle to close a second successive 67 and lift the Frenchman into tied-sixth alongside compatriot Alex Levy and Wales' Oliver Farr.
Former Ryder Cup players Ross Fisher and Edoardo Molinari are both in a share of ninth and in the group five behind, while Henrik Stenson slipped out contention after double-bogeying his final hole to sign for a third-round 73.
Who will win the DS Automobiles Italian Open? Watch the final round live on Sunday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Mix and via the red button on Sky Sports Golf.
