Forsyth storms into contention

Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth equalled the lowest round of his career to storm into contention for the Mercedes-Benz Championship.

Forsyth carded a brilliant 62 in the third round at Gut Larchenhof to set the clubhouse target on 11 under par, currently just two behind leader Soren Hansen.

The 31-year-old from Glasgow began the day 10 shots off the pace but stormed to the turn in 31 and, after his sole bogey of the day on the 10th, carded four more birdies and an eagle for a matching inward half of 31.

It was all a far cry from the opening day when he shot a four-over 76 and parted company with his caddie.

“It had been coming, these things run their course,” explained Forsyth, winner of the Malaysian Open in 2002 but without a single top-three finish in the last two seasons.

“We spoke about it on Thursday night and thought we would call it a day on Sunday but I preferred to make a clean break of it and got a new caddie for Friday.

“I was just happy there wasn’t a cut after the opening day and then I played better yesterday and today was great. It was one of those days where I gave myself lots of chances and took pretty much of all them.”

Those chances included an eagle from 35ft on the 13th and a par save from 15ft on the 16th after he had duffed a chip, and Forsyth admitted he had enjoyed the odd lucky break.

“On the 14th I hit my second shot well right but it took a couple of lucky bounces down to three feet for a birdie,” added Forsyth, like Open champion Padraig Harrington a pupil of veteran coach Bob Torrance.

“But apart from that I did keep hitting it close and putted a lot better – my putting has been pretty poor this year.”

Hansen led by two shots at the turn, the Dane carding three birdies and a bogey to lie 13 under par.

Playing partner Lee Westwood had been his nearest challenger overnight but the Ryder Cup star, four clear after his opening 61, ran up a double bogey on the seventh after hitting his approach into water surrounding the green.

At nine under par Westwood was four off the pace in a share of third with Australian Richard Green, Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn and England’s Phillip Archer, beaten in a play-off for the Omega European Masters on Sunday.