Poulter perches on top of DWC leaderboard

Joint overnight leader Poulter, bidding to win back to back titles after winning the Hong Kong Open last week, continued his inexorable march with a score of 69 for a 12-under total of 204 on day three of the championship.

 

“I feel happy, yeah, it’s great. You know, I’m in the driving seat. I’m two in front. It’s better that than being behind. Yeah, I feel pretty confident,” said Poulter on his chances of winning the title on Sunday.

 

His playing partner Ross Fisher managed to stay in the hunt carding 71 despite bogeying the 18^th to remain in a three-way tie for second at 10-under with Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (69) and Italy’s Francesco Molinari (68).

 

“It was a game of patience out there today. I felt I dropped two silly, silly bogeys on holes that I really feel I should have taken advantage of. That was the only frustration of the day. Apart from that it was pretty solid,” said Poulter who went 56 holes without dropping a shot in Hong Kong last week and 40 in Dubai before bogeying the fifth and 10th.

 

The world no. 11 is relishing the prospect of being in pole position and bagging the biggest win of his career.

 

“I think Volvo Masters 2004 was probably my next biggest win after the Match Play. So this I think would pip that. It’s become a bigger event,” said Poulter of the $7.5 million championship.

 

Fisher had a chance to close the gap at the top of the leaderboard but a bogey six on the last after finding the water with his second to the green cost him a chance of going into day four all square.

 

“I had a chance to go for it in two and unfortunately didn't hit the right shots,” said Fisher.

 

“Poults is playing good golf and dropped his first two shots of the whole week so that just shows how good he's playing.”

 

“He’s going to be a tough man to beat and you’ve got Francesco (Molinari), who’s just come off the back of a great victory at HSBC, and Westwood obviously at World Number One. There are some good quality players there so I need to go out and play well. But if I can produce the form I showed yesterday, I feel I’ve got a good chance.”

 

Molinari – who carded a 68 to move to joint second on ten under par – believes he needs “five birdies to win”, while Jaidee is happy with his game but needs to up it one more level if he is to win the $1.25 million first prize.

 

European Number One-elect Kaymer is six shots off the lead on six under par thanks to a closing double bogey seven after sending his third shot into the water.

 

And although his only Race to Dubai rival Graeme McDowell crept back to within four shots of the German, the US Open Champion believes the race is all but over.

 

“I think barring the impossible, European Number One is probably not a reality for me anymore,” said McDowell, who shot a three under par 69 to go to two-under for the tournament.

 

Kaymer was also frustrated with his mixed round of 73 which consisted of six birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey on the 18^th.

 

“That was a huge mistake on 18. I think it put me in a position where I cannot really win the tournament anymore. It looks like I have won the Race to Dubai, which is nice, but I want to play well here and finish as high as possible,” said the 25-year-old German.

 

However, his nearest rival for the Race to Dubai title Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell virtually conceded defeat despite a third-round 69 which saw him four shots behind Kaymer.

 

“Martin is definitely going to do it unless I shoot 55, which unless one of you boys (a handful of reporters) putts for me isn’t going to happen,” said the US Open winner who needed a third place finish at the year-long Race to Dubai to have any hopes of becoming Europe’s number one.

Defending champion Lee Westood of England was tied for fifth at nine-under 207 with first round leader Robert Karlsson of Sweden who returned from obscurity to be with a third round 67 which included six birdies.

 

“It turned into one of those grinding days. I kept giving myself a lot of chances at birdies and nothing would go in. I had to hit good shots coming in just to make a couple of birdies in the last five holes, which has kept me in the tournament probably,” said the world’s top ranked player.

 

“I still got a chance. I know I can do a lot better. It’s been pretty average over the first three days,” said Westwood.