Joost Luiten crafted a 5-under-par 35-32=67 in the third round of the Oman Open at Al Mouj Golf to total 11-under 205 and join Sami Valimaki, Mikko Korhonen, Callum Shinkwin, Brandon Stone and Rasmus Hojgaard in a share of the lead.
The Dutchman’s fondness for the Greg Norman design continues to express itself as he chases a second win there, 12 months after he was T12 on defense. It will be a cavalry charge, however, with that half dozen tied at the top and 15 players within four blows of the lead. Luiten went bogey-free on Saturday and having opened with a birdie at the first he added nine pars. When he broke the deadlock, however, he did so in style, draining birdies from outside 30’0" at the 11th and 12th, then lacing a beautiful tee shot at the par-3 13th and converting from 6’0". The 34-year-old will seek a seventh European Tour win on Sunday. He is 4-for-6 when having a 54-hole lead and has never dropped lower than T3 in such circumstances. This is only his second shared third round lead, but the previous one was when he won here in 2018.