Calum Hill shares Mauritius Open lead heading into final round

Calum Hill on his way to a third-round 68 in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. Picture: Getty Images

Hill, who started the day leading on his own after opening rounds of 68 and 64, now has Belgian Thomas Detry and Frenchman Antoine Rozner alongside him in top spot after a low-scoring day at Heritage Golf Club.

A birdie-birdie finish saw Hill, who is playing in just his second event as a European Tour card holder after graduating from the Challenge Tour, sign for a four-under-par 68 to sit on 16-under-par along with Detry (67) and Rozner (66).

“It was nice to have a couple of birdies to finish off and sneak back into a tie for the lead,” said Hill, a three-time winner on the second-tier circuit. Happy with how it finished off.”

Earlier, the 25-year-old had reeled off three straight birdies on the front nine before following eight pars in a row with his second bogey of the week at the par-4 16th.

“I hit a lot of nice shots to start off the back nine until the 14th but couldn’t get my putts, needed to hit it six inches harder on every hole,” he added.

“Then on the par 5 - if you get your driver right it should be a birdie today or even better - I managed to drop it into the hazard. Got lucky, managed to whack it out and save par.”

On a tightly-packed leaderboard, Danish rookie Rasmus Hojgaard and American Sihwan Kim sit just one behind, with South African Brandon Stone, the 2018 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open champion, and Italian Renato Paratore both on 14-under.

“Eight under might do it (tomorrow),” predicted Hill. “I could do with another one of those and I might be able to come in with a smile on my face.”

Syme, who also graduated from the Challenge Tour and started the new season by tying for 11th in the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa last weekend, sits in a tie for eighth on 13-under after making an eagle and five birdies in his 69.

He’ll have Forrest for company in the final round after the 26-year-old North Berwick man, who finished seventh in this event last year, posted a 67 - it included nine birdies - to lie in a share of tenth spot on 12-under.

It was also a good day for Paul Lawrie as he moved into the top 25 on the back of a four-under 68 for an eight-under total, with David Law (71) and Doug McGuigan (74) on six-under and one-under respectively.

Elsewhere, Kelsey MacDonald and Michele Thomson both lost ground on the penultimate day of the Magical Kenya Open, the final event of the Ladies European Tour season.

MacDonald, who started out in joint-second, slipped to a share of seventh alongside Kylie Henry after having to settle for a three-over 75 at Vipingo Ridge.

Following a steady start, MacDonald dropped four shots around the turn while Henry carded five birdies, including one to finish, as she posted a 70 for her two-under-par 214 total.

Michele Thomson, who had matched MacDonald’s 68 on Friday as the pair played in the same group, also signed for a 75 to sit in joint-11th on one-under alongside Gemma Dryburgh (68).

Swede Julia Engstrom stayed on course to land her maiden win on the circuit in style as she moved seven shots clear of the field on 13-under, having followed opening rounds of 67 and 66 with a 70.

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