Craig Lee kept in sight of the Monza chequered flag as he posted a second straight 67 to move within three shots of the lead heading to the back straight of the 72nd Italian Open.
Lee snared an eagle for a second day running along with four birdies for a 10-under par tally under a continuing ‘preferred lie’ rule on the Milano Golf Club course.
The Scandinavian pair of Jens Fahrbring of Sweden (64) and Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark (65) share the lead by two strokes on 13-under par. But the biggest threat has to be double Major-winning Martin Kaymer shooting a 66, and despite just managing four hours sleep, to move to a share of seventh spot at 10-under par.
“I seemed to be awake all night clock watching and for some reason just could not get to sleep properly,” he said. “I only managed about four hours sleep or so but then I have enjoyed returning to these traditional old-style courses like last week in Holland and here in Italy.
“It’s like getting back to normal golf and the type of courses I played regularly at the start of my pro career.”
Lee was out in the very last group from the 10th tee and grabbing an eagle for a second day running and ending in holing a six inch birdie putt. "I'm delighted as I thought it being such a demanding golf course the golf course would be hard to score on but here I am standing at 10 under," he said.
"So I'm ecstatic and to be out in the last group with a lot of spike marks on the greens but then I just stayed patient."
Borders David Drysdale made it eight cuts in succession in his 27th start this year in holing lengthy birdie putts over his closing two holes in a round of three under par 69 and move to five under par."
Dysdale holed a 25-footer at 17 and then rolled in a 20-footer at the last after earlier sandwiching a 10th hole birdie amid 15 pars. “It was a good way to finish but I hit 17 greens out there but then had 33 putts so overall it was decent enough,” he said. "But then I had some many putts out there today inside 12 feet I didn’t convert so I will be spending some time working with the short stick this afternoon.”
The 40-year old arrived in Monza lying 114th on the Race to Dubai and just one place inside the end-of-season cut-off point for automatic membership.
However after a number of previous trips to the Tour’s Q-School Drysdale should be assured of retaining his card for a seventh year in succession as he is guaranteed a start in the closing five events ahead of the Final Four Series.
“I’ve been playing pretty well since the Scottish Open and haven’t miss a cut since then after three months in the doldrums,” he said. “So a good result this week will help plus I’m into the events coming up including the Dunhill and the British Masters and that gives good chances to lock-in my card.”
There was tearful scenes as Italian hero Costantino Rocca putted out in his last Italian Open. The 58-year old, who won five times but also lost out in a play-off for the 1995 Open at St. Andrews, posted scores of 80 and 72 in his 491st main Tour event.
Rather less poignantly, Chris Doak left his playing partners puzzled when he disqualified himself in bizarre circumstances after just 12 holes.
The Glaswegian was three over par though 11 holes at the time when he failed to putt out at the 12th and walked from the course in a round that began with a double bogey.
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