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Golden opportunity Young pro Davis leads Spanish Open; Romero charges
Posted: Sunday April 30, 2000 01:55 PM
GIRONA, Spain (AP) -- Brian Davis, a man who has yet to win on the European Tour, shot a 6-under-par 66 in Sunday's third round of the $938,000 Spanish Open to lead the field by a single shot going into Monday's final round. Leader Davis finished 11-under overall at 205. "I played excellent golf today," Davis said. "This is obviously a golden chance for a first win." The 25 year-old Londoner had seven birdies Sunday and dropped his only shot when he drove into a bunker on the 14th. In his three full seasons on Tour, Davis has never finished the year in the top-50. Davis was followed in by Markus Brier, the only Austrian player with a full Tour membership. Brier only missed one fairway Sunday and had six birdies in his 67. Argentina's veteran, big-hitting Eduardo Romero moved up into third place a further shot back at 207 after a 65. "People are talking about Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia but what about Eduardo Romero?" he asked with a smile. Wielding the new Calloway ERC driver, a club which has been banned in the U.S. for its spring-effect head, Romero signed a clean card Sunday with five birdies and eagled the 12th when he hit a 3-iron to three feet. "I think Monday I have to beat Sergio (Garcia) and Montgomerie." Romero said. Montgomerie is lurking a shot behind Romero at 208 after a third-round 70. He is tied with Spain's Carlos Rodiles who had a 67. The Scot birdied two of the first three holes but never sustained his initial momentum. He picked up five birdies overall but three-putted the 5th for bogey and double-bogeyed the 10th when he drove into trees, was then plugged in sand and finally three-putted from the fringe, missing the second from under three feet. "That double bogey stopped me," the Scot admitted. "But I'm only three back, and I've made up more than that to win." Montgomerie had to contend with a balky putter and also with a noisy gallery at the Catalunya course. The exasperated Scot confiscated a spectator's camera on the 12th hole. Fighting a heavy head-cold, Sergio Garcia gave himself a shot at the title with a brilliant 66, birdying five holes in six from the second and eagling the 15th to finish five shots off the pace at 210. "It was impossible to play better," the Spaniard said. "That was the easiest 66 of my life. I look forward to tomorrow."
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