GRAHAM DUNBAR
AP Sports Writer
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — Graeme Storm of England fired a hole-in-one in his third round 6-under 64 to lead the European Masters on Saturday.
Storm’s 16-under total of 194 was one stroke clear of Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who shot 63 on the sunbathed, 6,848-yard (6,262-meter) Severiano Ballesteros course.
Using a 6-iron, Storm aced the 217-yard (198-meter) par-3 11th to win a hybrid sports car valued at $186,000.
Storm, who is 159th in the European Tour money list, currently does not own a car and earned a more modest prize for his previous hole-in-one in March at the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco.
“There is a big difference between a lamp and a car like that,” said the 36-year-old Storm, whose only career win was seven years ago.
Brooks Koepka of the United States trailed Storm by two after making double-bogey on the par-4 18th, his only dropped shots in a 66.
Another American, David Lipsky, shot 66 to be three strokes off the lead in fourth.
Ryder Cup rookie Jamie Donaldson of Wales was a further stroke back, losing the lead after triple- and double-bogeys on par-4s coming home.
“A couple of bad shots cost me really,” said Donaldson, noting that a four-shot deficit can be quickly made up in thin Swiss Alps air. “Definitely. I haven’t really had a really low (round) yet.”
Joining Donaldson on 12 under were overnight leader Richie Ramsay of Scotland and Tyrrell Hatton of England.
Ramsay, the 2012 champion, shot a level-par 70 after bogeying three of the first four holes, and Hatton had two eagle-3s in his 5-under 65.
Donaldson’s Ryder Cup teammates, Frenchman Victor Dubuisson and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, both shot 68s to sit six and 12 shots back, respectively.
Dubuisson is among four players on 10 under, including Italian Marco Crespi whose bogey-free 62 tied for lowest score of the day.
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