SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France (AP) — Rasmus Hojgaard holds a slender one-shot lead from George Coetzee at the French Open after making a terrible start to his third round and ending with a 3-over 74 on Saturday.
The Danish player had a six-shot lead overnight on Frenchman Paul Barjon, but he slipped from 15 under to 12 under.
Coetzee — a five-time European tour winner — was third overnight and the South African’s 3-under 68 put him in contention at 11 under after Hojgaard’s early blunders.
Hojgaard made a quintuple-bogey on the par-three second hole and a bogey on the next. It was far removed from Thursday’s first round, when his 9-under 62 tied the course record at Le Golf National outside Paris.
He steadied himself, however, with two birdies on the front nine. Although he made three more birdies on the back nine he also had two bogeys, including a demoralizing one on the 18th.
Belgian Thomas Pieters carded a 5-under 66 to join Barjon (70) on 10 under and tied for third place heading into Sunday’s final round.
Sitting one shot behind them are German golfer Yannik Paul and Frenchman Antoine Rozner in a tie for fifth place, in what promises to be a wide open last day.
The tournament was not played over the past two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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