Stephen Dodd posted an eight under par round of 62 to tie the lowest round in the history of The Senior Open. As a result, the Welshman will head into the final day with a two-stroke lead at Sunningdale Golf Club.
Half-way leader Darren Clarke is three shots behind the leader, after carding a 70 on Saturday. In between is American Jerry Kelly, whose 68 today puts him a shot ahead of Clarke and two behind Dodd.
“I suppose I got lucky once or twice”
Dodd leads on 11 under par after a scintillating third round. He signed for nine birdies and just a single dropped shot.
Commenting on his round Dodd said:
“Well, after yesterday, I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen today because it was pretty poor yesterday. So good night’s sleep, I suppose I got lucky once or twice early on. They weren’t very good shots, but it went close, and I started to hit some good shots in the back nine.”
Dodd’s history equalling effort sees him join South African Harold Henning and American Jim Colbert as holders of the lowest Senior Open rounds. Both posted eight under par rounds of 62 at Turnberry Resort in 1990 and 2003 respectively. The 55-year-old also tied Sunningdale’s Old Course record which was set by Nick Faldo at the 1986 European Open and tied by Shane Lowry in 2010 Open Qualifying.
Former Senior Open winners in contention
One stroke behind Darren Clarke are a trio of past Senior Open winners in defending champion Bernhard Langer, 2016 winner Paul Broadhurst and 2018 champion Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
South Africa’s Ernie Els sits five shots off the lead in seventh place on six under par and still with a chance of picking up his first Senior Major Championship to add to his two Claret Jugs and two U.S. Open titles.
Round three select scores
199 S DODD (WAL) 66 71 62,
201 J KELLY (USA) 67 66 68,
202 D CLARKE 65 67 70,
203 M JIMÉNEZ (ESP) 69 67 67, P BROADHURST (ENG) 69 65 69, B LANGER (GER) 66 67 70,
204 E ELS (RSA) 67 67 70,
205 Y TSUKADA (JPN) 71 65 69,
206 W SHORT JR (USA) 67 70 69, R GONZALEZ (ARG) 66 71 69, J SANDELIN (SWE) 69 67 70,
207 T LEHMAN (USA) 68 71 68, D SHACKLADY (ENG) 69 68 70.
208 C MONTGOMERIE (SCO) 68 72 68, J REMESY (FRA) 68 69 71, I WOOSNAM (WAL) 68 68 72.
209 A CEJKA (GER) 71 71 67, R BEEM (USA) 71 70 68, P BAKER (ENG) 73 68 68, G DAY (USA) 75 65 69, M GOGEL (USA) 68 72 69, P WILSON (ENG) 68 71 70, J KINGSTON (RSA) 65 74 70, P PRICE (WAL) 67 72 70, M MARTIN (ESP) 70 67 72, T BJORN (DEN) 68 69 72,
210 P GOLDING (ENG) 71 70 69, B SOWARDS (USA) 71 69 70, T PERNICE JR (USA) 70 68 72, P FOWLER (AUS) 67 70 73.
215 A RAITT (ENG) 71 74 70, C WILLIAMS (RSA) 72 73 70, D GILFORD (ENG) 73 72 70, S MICHEEL (USA) 69 75 71, M MOULAND (WAL) 72 71 72, P MCGINLEY 69 73 73, T FOSTER (AM) (ENG) 72 70 73, P EALES (ENG) 69 70 76.
