David Drysdale in the hunt as Richard Bland shows the way

Published on Saturday 13 February 2010 21:04

SCOTLAND'S David Drysdale is just one stroke off the lead on 10 under going into today's final round of the Avantha Masters in Dubai.

The golfer from Cockburnspath in the Borders posted a 71 yesterday to follow Friday's impressive 67.

But it was England's Richard Bland who caught everyone's attention with a sparkling third-round 66 yesterday. Bland claims he is ready to win his first European Tour title at the age of 37 after joining six others in a tie for the lead.

Starting the day five shots off the pace and down the field in a tie for 20th, Bland collected two early birdies at the first and third but failed to make further inroads until the 12th. He then drained a long putt for birdie at the 14th and picked up two more shots at the 15th and 17th following good approach shots.

Bland afterwards credited mind coach Jamil Qureshi for making him more mentally resilient, borne out by the fact he has made the cut in ten of his last 11 European Tour events. Bland is confident he can hold his nerve today in what is could be a dramatic final-day shoot-out at DLF Golf and Country Club.

"I have been doing a lot of work with Jamil and I believe that I have the game to win, and the last six months have shown me that I do have the game to win at this level," he said. "He has turned me around like you wouldn't believe, my self-belief and how I think on the golf course.

"I am not as hard on myself and I will take everything as it comes a lot more these days. It is an ongoing thing and there is always room to improve, but he gets me in the right frame of mind from the moment I set out for a tournament."

Despite carding the joint best round of the day, Bland curiously played down his effort.

"I have to say that it felt a bit strange that 66, because there were points when I felt that I wasn't playing too well," he added. "It was strange – it felt like my playing partners played better than I did but I was the one that made the score. Sometimes you have to do it the ugly way."

Fellow Englishman Barry Lane kept alive his bid to become the oldest man to win a European Tour event after the 49-year-old recorded a one-under 71 to join the leading pack and pinpointed the greens as key to his chances today.

Second-round leader Chan Yih-Shin of Taiwan fought back from a mixed day to rescue a level-par 72 and remain 11 under. He shares the lead with Bland, Lane, Fredrick Andersson Hed of Sweden, Australia's Darren Beck, Rahil Giangjee of India and Japan's Tetsuji Hiratsuka.

Darren Clarke is part of a six-strong group on nine under. Scots Steven O'Hara (67) and Richie Ramsay (70) are still in the running on seven under.