Russian Open 2015: Leaderboard Scores and Highlights from Saturday
Lee Slattery continued his fine form at the 2015 Russia Open on Saturday, shooting 67 to take sole possession of the top spot on the leaderboard.
The Englishman has a two-shot lead over Craig Lee and Estanislao Goya, with defending champion David Horsey and Bradley Dredge further back.
Here's a look at the leaderboard after three rounds of golf:
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| 1 | Lee Slattery | -13 | 67 |
| T2 | Craig Lee | -11 | 66 |
| T2 | Estanislao Goya | -11 | 67 |
| 4 | David Horsey | -10 | 66 |
| T5 | Oskar Henningsson | -9 | 67 |
| T5 | Bradley Dredge | -9 | 72 |
| 7 | Pablo Martin Benavides | -8 | 70 |
| T8 | Danie van Tonder | -7 | 68 |
| T8 | Matthew Southgate | -7 | 69 |
| T8 | David Drysdale | -7 | 69 |
For the full leaderboard, visit Europeantour.com.
Recap
Slattery overcame a double-bogey on the 11th hole to give himself a strong chance of winning this year's Russia Open, shooting another round of four-under 67 on Saturday.
The double-bogey was sandwiched in between birdies, two of his six in total, as the 37-year-old showed his ability to bounce back from setbacks.
Saturday's round was interrupted by inclement weather, and when play resumed, the heavy rains had taken their toll on the course.
The European Tour's official Twitter account shared this shot of the rain coming down:
Of the late starters, Lee dealt with the tough conditions best, shooting 66 to close the gap at the top of the leaderboard to just two strokes.
The Scot was incredibly consistent throughout the day, finding the fairway quite easily and displaying his superb short game. This putt was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the day:
Five birdies were enough to finish five-under, his best score of the week, and with some of the early leaders struggling on Saturday, Lee's chances of winning the tournament are definitely trending upward.
He'll have to find a way past Slattery first, however, and that won't be easy. The man from Southport has been superb through three days of golf, showing excellent control off the tee and rarely putting himself in tough spots. His scrambles have been solid as well, and he'll have full control of his own destiny on Sunday.
Slattery has played two rounds of 67 and one 66; if he can produce another score like that, it's hard to see anyone overtaking him. As reported by the European Tour's official website, he's already looking forward to the final round:
"It’s very similar to my last win actually, I had a two shot lead there on the final day.
I remember losing the lead quite early but it pushed me on to play well again so it’s similar, similar feelings, and I’m just going to go out and enjoy it tomorrow.
It’s the old cliche, take it one shot at a time - that’s what I’ll be doing tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it.
"
Defending champion Horsey was one of the top risers on Saturday, shooting 66 to put himself within touching distance of the lead. The 30-year-old had one bogey on the front-nine but rebounded with a flawless back-nine, including four birdies.
Horsey knows this course like no other and clearly wasn't bothered by the conditions on Saturday. Heading into the final round, you have to like his chances of winning back-to-back Russia Open titles, providing Slattery breaks under the pressure.
Dredge came into the day having played two excellent rounds of golf, but the Welshman struggled on Saturday, going through a bad spell at the end of the front-nine.
Three bogeys in six holes saw him tumble down the leaderboard, and while he managed to halt his slide just in time, he now faces a four-shot deficit entering the final round.
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