Rocco Forte Open 2017: Alvaro Quiros Extends Lead in 3rd Round
Alvaro Quiros extended his lead at the 2017 Rocco Forte Open to five shots on Saturday, and the Spaniard now sits on 16-under overall in the Sicily golf tournament.
The Spaniard successfully navigated windy conditions and was one of just seven players to score under par, but several of his rivals struggled. Michael Hoey, Sebastian Soderberg and David Horsey all finished over for the day as they slipped further away from the leader.
Thomas Bjorn, who slipped to five under after scoring a three-over 74, took to Twitter to discuss the challenge brought on by the weather:
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Zander Lombard is Quiros' closest competitor on 11-under having scored 72 on moving day.
Here is how the top of leaderboard looks, courtesy of the European Tour's official website:
| Alvaro Quiros | -16 (70) |
| Zander Lombard | -11 (72) |
| Pep Angles | -10 (68) |
| Renato Paratore | -10 (70) |
| Lee Slattery | -9 (70) |
| Johan Carlsson | -9 (72) |
| Jose-Filipe Lima | -9 (73) |
| Raphael Jacquelin | -9 (73) |
| David Horsey | -9 (74) |
| Michael Hoey | -9 (75) |
Saturday Recap
Quiros ended Friday's round with four successive birdies, and he looked to have carried that momentum into Saturday as he picked up a shot at the first, but the tricky weather soon took its toll.
The Spaniard picked up another shot at the fourth, but he bogeyed the third, fifth and sixth to leave him at 14-under.
Meanwhile, a good start for Lombard—comprised of birdies at the second and seventh, albeit with a bogey at the third—had moved him to just one behind, before the South African took the lead courtesy of a sensational approach shot at the ninth, per the European Tour:
Three dropped shots in a row to open his back nine saw Lombard immediately hand the lead back to Quiros, who ended the front nine on a positive note with a birdie.
Lombard regained his composure with a birdie at the 14th, but a double bogey at the 18th ensured Quiros an even healthier lead heading into the final day.
The 34-year-old enjoyed a less eventful but steady back nine with gains at the 12th and 14th, though the latter was immediately dropped on the following hole.
The player who fared best with the weather was Pep Angles, who had made significant progress despite a double bogey at the 10th:
Unfortunately for the Spaniard, two bogeys at the 15th and 18th would take some of the shine off his round, but he nevertheless finished with the day's best score of three-under.
Quiros enjoys a significant lead heading into Sunday, and barring a disaster, he should be able to hold on to win the competition, though much could depend on the conditions.
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