Niklas Norgaard from Denmark is four strokes ahead as the British Masters approaches its final round, following a significant setback for Tyrrell Hatton. Despite starting the day in the lead, Hatton fell 10 places behind after a disappointing 76 at The Belfry. In contrast, Norgaard played an impressive round, scoring nine birdies and a notable 64, only one behind the course’s record.
Norgaard’s lead could have been even larger had he not faltered on the 17th hole where he scored a bogey after playing a strong front nine. Despite this, Norgaard’s performance provided an opening for Thriston Lawrence, who was able to advance within three points after birdying on the last four holes, ending with a 67.
However, Norgaard impressively shot a birdie on the 18th, putting him 16 under par overall. Other players of note included Simon Thornton, of Ireland, who ended four over par for the day and five over after three rounds, landing him in tied 67th position.
After Saturday’s round, Norgaard reflected on his performance, stating he had not been monitoring the scores, but was aware the round wasn’t easy. He attributed his high level performance to his mindfulness during the game. Despite admitting his bogey on the 17th was a silly error, Norgaard felt it removed some pressure going into the 18th hole. He also expressed his gratitude towards his caddie, who he felt helped him maintain his composure throughout the round. Norgaard ended by expressing great confidence in his game, especially after seeing his shots hit the mark.
Reflecting on his performance last year where he only managed to secure seventh place, Lawrence is feeling more confident this season. He has seen improvement, having clinched both a second and fourth place position. This is his first experience with a four-shot lead and he’s eagerly looking forward to getting back on the golf course to see it through.
There is something about the course that he finds appealing and he certainly feels at ease, which makes him anticipate the tournament each year. For Lawrence, a victory would mean the world. Rather than adopt a defensive stance, he plans to continue his successful tactics of the previous day, essentially playing aggressively.
In an eventful round, Lawrence managed to score nine birdies, suffer a double bogey and two bogeys, rounding off with a birdie at tap-in range following an impressive approach to the 18th hole. He acknowledged that Niklas performed well as he ascended to 16-under at one point, inspiring Lawrence to better his own performance. He admits, while he’s still trailing, he’s optimistic about challenging for the title. His aggression levels will remain the same, no matter whether he is five shots ahead or behind.
As for Hatton, he struggled to maintain consistency, marking his first bogey with a responding birdie on the par-five third. Even though he proceeded to lose shots on the sixth and ninth, he managed to barely make par on the notorious 10th after his drive found a bush. Hatton is now back in the DP World Tour, following an unsuccessful appeal against sanctions for participating in LIV Golf competitions without consent. Hatton lost a single shot after a tee shot into the water on the 12th and knocked his drive out of bounds on the next, culminating in a triple-bogey seven.