European tour golf: Del Moral in control with one round left

Spaniard Carlos Del Moral knocked two strokes off his previous best European Tour round and was in control of the Madeira Islands Open with a round to go.

The 26-year-old from Valencia, with a previous highest finish of fifth on the circuit, charged from five behind to three in front with a sparkling nine under par 63 at Santo da Serra in Machico.

Del Moral, ranked 397th in the world, reached 17 under par on a day to forget for ex-Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson.

Hoping for his first victory after an amazing nine runners-up finishes, Englishman Wilson led at halfway, but managed only a 72 in the third round and is now four back in joint third place.

Joakim Lagergren is second on 14 under following a 70, with his fellow Swedes Mikael Lundberg and Magnus Carlsson, Wilson and Portugal’s Ricardo Santos one further back.

Del Moral, left, took over at the top with six birdies in an outward 30 and then finished with three more birdies to march clear of the field.

Wilson did not have a single bogey in opening with rounds of 66 and 65, but in a less than stellar third round he mixed three with three birdies, the last of those on the final green at least boosting his confidence entering the final day.