Sydney, Dec. 4: Geoff Ogilvy increased his one-shot overnight lead to five strokes after three rounds at the Australian Open, shooting a 5-under-par 67 Saturday at The Lakes to leave most of the field out of contention for his country’s national championship.
Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, had a 54-hole total of 16-under 200. Australian Matt Jones, who trailed Ogilvy by a stroke going into the third round, fell off the pace with a 71, one shot better than Australians Greg Chalmers (66) and Alistair Presnell (67), who are tied for third, six back of Ogilvy.
John Senden, who won the Australian Open in 2006, was in fifth place after a 70, level with fellow Australian Matthew Griffin, who shot 72, each seven strokes back. Ogilvy, who has won three World Golf Championship titles as well as his 2006 major, has never won the Australian Open. His only pro win Down Under came at the Australian PGA in 2008. He bogeyed the final hole Saturday, a tough par-3. “I played so well the past few days, so I guess I can’t complain about that,” he said of the 4 on 18.
Greg Norman, who shot 70 on Saturday and is 13 shots off the lead, said he was no fan of the new, slow undulating greens at The Lakes. “I’m a fast-green putter and I can’t get the right line or the speed with them,” he said.