During a day in which there was plenty of hustling, bustling, and even a little jostling at the Dubai Festival City Challenge Tour Grand Final hosted by Al Badia Golf Club, there was only one man who made the leap into the provisional top 15 on the Rankings – a certain Dane – Lasse Jensen.
Entering the final event of the year the Copenhagen resident was some four places shy of an instant return to The European Tour, having finished 171st at the end of a rookie campaign in 2013, and he would have been all too aware that only a top finish would do this week if he were to climb the season-long list.
With that in mind, and coming off the back of a disappointing round of 75 on day two, Jensen was suitably impressed with how he played on Saturday.
He has focused hard on managing his mind this week, as well as his golf game throughout the first 54 holes, and his seven birdie 68 should prove just the fillip for a man currently set to claim the final place in this year’s esteemed graduating class.
“It was tough, as today you could not get your card, but you could certainly lose it,” said the 29 year old. “I got off to a slow start, but four consecutive birdies from the fifth gave me some belief that I was still in it. I got a bit unlucky on ten and 11 with unforced errors there for bogey, but finished very strong again, so I was happy with the game again today as I didn’t shoot myself out of it.
“I said earlier in the week that I just wanted to be there on Sunday, because then whatever happens it is in your own hands, so if I play well tomorrow I can do it. It will be exciting.
“I can’t not look at the scores as sometimes it feels like the board is looking at you. I just have to go out tomorrow, see the shots, do the best I can and see where we end up.
“My game is currently a bit random, kind of up and down, as I hit some great shots today but sometimes they weren’t so good. I’m just working hard on my swing at the moment so I can get better for the future, but hopefully tomorrow I’ll be required to speak to all the media once again.”
If the season were to finish now, Jensen would climb to 15th on the Rankings at the expense of Jason Barnes, who would fall out of contention for a maiden season on The European Tour as a result.
Entering the tournament Antonio Hortal had been in position to earn the final starting berth available on The Race to Dubai next season, and he went some way to allaying any concerns he might have had of not achieving that lofty goal on Friday, thanks to a 68 of his own in the third round which provisionally vaulted him to 14th on the season-long list.
“I am very happy as I played really nice today,” said this season’s Challenge de Catalunya winner. “The greens were faster and I putted really well. My putting was OK yesterday but today I hit better shots, and I was unlucky not to birdie the last, so I’m happy with the round.
“Quicker greens suit me as the grain has less of an effect on the ball and you can just focus on the break and forget about the grass, which makes it easier.
“I am going to try not to watch the scores tomorrow but it will be difficult. I just want to start well and play as I did today, because I played well. I will just have to trust my game and see what happens.”
Jerome Lando Casanova had another good day in Dubai, carding a 68 to move into a tie for fifth at four under par, a round that has seen him climb nine places on the provisional list and into 29thon the Ranking.
On the same mark as the Frenchman after three rounds is Bernd Ritthammer, who climbed six places to 19th on Friday thanks to a 69, with both him and the aforementioned Lando Casanova in need of a top two or three finish if they are to have any chance of graduation, on what promises to be a thrilling final day in Dubai.
