PORTUGAL -- Miguel Angel Jimenez used a birdie on the par-5 18th Saturday to card a 2-under 70 and cling to a share of the lead after the third round of the Algarve Open de Portugal. Jimenez was joined by Ignacio Garrido and David Lynn, who eagled the closing hole, at 11-under-par 205.
Peter Lawrie, who held the lead after the opening round, posted a 2-under 70 to finish alongside Raymond Russell, David Park, Andrew Raitt and Gregory Havret in a tie for fourth at 9-under-par 207.
Jimenez, who is trying to become the first multiple winner on the European Tour this season, stormed into the lead with a 66 on Friday. Saturday was a different story, however, and Jimenez was unable to take advantage of the optimal scoring conditions at Le Meridien with pars on each of his first 13 holes.
The par-3 13th actually looked like a spot where Jimenez would break into the red after his tee shot stopped seven feet behind the hole. The birdie putt came to rest on the left edge of the cup, but Jimenez made up for it at the 14th.
The Spaniard dropped his approach inside 15 feet at the par-4 and drained the putt for his first birdie of the day to reach 10 under.
‘I didn’t play well for the front nine, missed a couple of fairways and I was just too far from the hole,’ said Jimenez. ‘But it was better once I made the birdie.’
Jimenez closed with a birdie on 18 to join the logjam in first with one round to play.
Garrido, who was one shot back to start the day, took advantage of Jimenez’s idleness with a birdie at the seventh.
At the par-5 10th, Garrido played his third shot to six feet for a birdie and opened a two-shot lead at 11 under with a short birdie at the par-5 11th.
Garrido stumbled with a bogey at the par-3 13th but was able to birdie the last for a round of 69.
‘It is always nice to play with a friend and if things start going badly for one, the other will try and keep him going,’ Garrido said of Jimenez. ‘But it can be a disadvantage as it might help one of the players but the other might lose concentration.’
Lynn shook off a double-bogey at the first with six birdies over his next nine holes to move to minus-9.
The Englishman then coasted at even-par until his second shot to the par-5 18th stopped within 14 feet of the hole.
Lynn, who is in search of his first career victory on the European Tour, calmly drained the eagle putt to secure his share of the lead.
‘I’ve put myself in position again so see what happens tomorrow,’ said Lynn. ‘I’ve been up there a few times. I like the buzz of it all. You are playing for something. You have to relish these times. Every shot means something.’
Russell capped off his Saturday with an 8-foot birdie putt at the last for the day’s low round of 65, a feat that was also accomplished by Klas Eriksson.
Eriksson was joined by Ian Woosnam, Graeme McDowell, Damien McGrane, Jose Manuel Lara, Stephen Dodd, Emanuele Canonica, Nicolas Colsaerts, Fredrik Andersson, Jean-Francois Remesy, Mark Roe and Matthew Cort in a tie for ninth at 8-under-par 208.
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