Cape Town – Australian golfer Scott Hend fired a third round five-under-par 65 on Saturday for a total of 13 under to take a one-shot lead over Swede Alex Noren into the final round of the Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre GC.
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Fitzpatrick was seven over par for his first 14 holes on Thursday and eventually signed for a 75, but went 10 shots better on Friday and survived on the mark of level par thanks to four birdies in the last five holes.
A bogey at the 17th and a five under 65, however, meant he finished tied at the top with Hend on 17 under par after regulation play.
Hend hit a poor tee shot at Crans sur Sierre’s 18 hole which bounced out of the trees on the left.
“It was a really fun day”, said Noren, who won his sixth European Tour title on the same Swiss Alps course where his first came in 2009.
Richard Bland hit 69 to be three shots back and four players – Romain Langasque, Alejandro Canizares, Mikko Illonen and Andrew Johnston – are four shots off the pace.
Defending champion Danny Willett of England began his afternoon round at 5 under.
That buffer remained through 14 holes but Hend drew within one stroke with an unlikely birdie at the par-5 15 where he was forced to fashion a hooked punch shot from the trees to advance down the fairway. Noren then put his foot on the accelerator, making four consecutive birdies from the 6 to be out in 30 strokes and two shots clear of Hend.
The win is Noren’s second this season after he also won the Scottish Open in July and made the final at the Paul Lawrie Matchplay.
Westwood holed his own long putt on the 18th for a seventh birdie in a round with no dropped shots.
“Rosey and I were team mates in Rio and will be team mates in the Ryder Cup so we are spending a fair bit of time together these days”, Willett added.
“He played fantastic golf today but I didn’t play quite well enough”.
Holders Europe will be aiming to win the Ryder Cup for the ninth time in 11 editions when they take on United States at Hazeltine, Minnesota from September 30-October 2.
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He started off horribly, hitting two bogeys and double bogey while playing the 10th-18th holes first and then recovered to card a bogey and two birdies on the next nine.
