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Goosen opens two shot
advantage
South Africa's Retief Goosen
is on the brink of becoming European number one for the first time after seizing
a two-stroke lead in the third round of the Madrid Open.
Goosen's only rival for
the order of merit, Irishman Darren Clarke, shot a blistering 65 but conceded
the title when he said he would not play in next week's Italian Open.
With a five-under-par 66
taking him to a 17-under total of 196, Goosen would have to shoot his final round
in the 90s and Clarke, already five strokes off the pace, would need victory here
to keep the season's money list race alive.
Clarke trails Goosen by
$580,000 in the order of merit and the first prize at the only tournament now
left for the pair - the Volvo Masters in two weeks' time - is $500,000.
Goosen looks set for his
third tournament win of the year following his third-round haul of seven birdies
with two dropped shots at Club de Campo.
He leads playing partner
and overnight leader David Higgins of Ireland, England's Steve Webster and Spaniard
Diego Borrego by two strokes.
His run of four birdies
from the seventh must have been like a knife to Clarke's heart, as Goosen, who
had taken over from Higgins as early as a second hole birdie, adjusted his aim
upwards to the $200,000 first prize.
Goosen finished off his
day with aplomb, hitting to just 15 inches on the elevated 18th green for his
seventh birdie, and he wants to end the week in similar fashion to highlight his
order of merit success.
"It was a nice way
to finish and with a two-shot lead I now have a great chance to win," the
South African said.
"Darren could still
shoot 60 tomorrow, though, and win, and funny things happen. It isn't quite that
he has no chance.
"But I'm going to try
to win the tournament and if I can it would be great to wrap up the order of merit
that way."
Clarke looks certain, though,
to have to resign himself to a third order of merit runners-up place in four years,
even though he did his best to stay on the scene with a flawless card of six birdies
in his 65.
Said the Irishman: "I
will be partying next week...at home! Retief's played so well this year, week
in week out, so he deserves it."
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