CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) — American Sean Crocker shot a 6-under 64 to move up and share the lead after the third round of the European Masters on Saturday.
Crocker had six birdies and an eagle-3 at the 14th to finish on 10 under alongside Renato Paratore. The Italian’s round of 69 included retrieving his ball when it landed on a spectator’s backpack.
They led by one stroke from two Englishmen, Matthew Jordan and Ross McGowan, and Jorge Campillo of Spain who all carded 1-under 69 at Crans-sur-Sierre club.
Twelve players are within three shots of the co-leaders, including Andy Sullivan who is at 7 under after making double bogey on the par-4 18th.
Sullivan, who played on Europe’s 2016 Ryder Cup team, put his approach shot into the green-side water.
Swirling winds made scoring trickier on the high-altitude Swiss Alps course with rain falling on the leading groups.
Crocker had been 11 shots off the lead after shooting a 71 on Thursday, then carded rounds of 65 and 64.
“I bogeyed the first hole and then kind of got a little aggressive,” the Zimbabwe-born University of Southern California graduate said of his Saturday round.
Crocker, who turns 25 on Tuesday, is a three-time runner-up on the European Tour, including a tie for second last weekend in the Czech Republic.
“I’m just going to go play my game,” he said of his strategy for Sunday. “If I win, if I don’t, it doesn’t matter to me, I just want to go and play some golf.”
First-round leader James Morrison, who followed a course-record 60 with 74, shot level-par 70 Saturday to be 6 under.
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