Scottish Open champion Bernd Wiesberger offers injury advice to Bob MacIntyre

Big Bernd Wiesberger likes our wee Bob MacIntyre. That was evident when the Austrian masked his own disappointment at being pipped at the post in last season's Race to Dubai by being among the first to congratulate the Scot after he was crowned as Rookie of the Year on the same day in November.

Austrian Bernd Wiesberger talks tactics with his caddie the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

“I first played with Bob on the Saturday at the Made in Denmark and right then and there I said to my caddie that 'I like this guy we’re playing alongside'," recalled Wiesberger of the pair finding themselves in a ding-dong battle over the weekend in that European Tour event last May.

"He’s a bit unconventional," added the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open champion after stepping up his bid to land another Rolex Series title by moving to within a shot of the lead, held by Lee Westwood, heading into the final round of the $7 million Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

"But he has a great understanding how to play the game, and sometimes you don’t see that any longer in the younger players. On top of that, Bob’s a lovely lad and, when he finished his round in Dubai last November, I just wanted to be there to congratulate him on a such a good year.”

Due to a niggling hand injury, MacIntyre was unable to join Wiesberger in this week's event at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. The 23-year-old left-hander from Oban pulled out on Tuesday after discovering that a complete six-week rest had not cleared up the problem. He's now hoping to start his 2020 campaign in next week's Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Wiesberger missed seven months of the 2018 season after undergoing wrist surgery before returning to win three times last year and is firmly on course to make his Ryder Cup debut at Whistling Straits in September.

"Fortunately, I’ve not had the injury issue that was progressing, and as time went on, and maybe getting worse," said the 34-year-old from Vienna. "My own injury was immediate and meant being side-lined immediately. I was very fortunate to have good medical advice so that I could go about the right way getting it healed.

"Bob is going to play a lot of golf in his career so, if he should miss one or two tournaments, it’s not going to make a difference in his long-term career and the success he should have.”

Wiesberger, who carded seven birdies, including three to finish, in a bogey-free effort to have Westwood in his sights, topped the rankings last season heading into the conluding DP World Tour Championship only to lose out to Jon Rahm after the Spaniard triumphed at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

"Maybe just two Corona’s," replied, Wiesberger, smiling, to be asked how long it had taken him to get over that disappointment. "As I have said before, as an athlete you try and win and try and perform at the highest level, and get that trophy under your better.

"It was disappointing not to win the No 1 title but, looking back on the whole season and where I started, I was very proud of what I achieved in finishing third, so any pain was very short-lived. My motivation is always high and I always try to be as well-prepared and as ready as possible when I peg it up."

Westwood, who is bidding to land a 25th European Tour title at the start of his 28th successive season on the circuit, lit up his 65, which moved him to 14-under-par, with an eagle-3 at the eighth courtesy of a "brilliant" blow from 266 yards with a hybrid to three feet.

"I'm not going to lie, I didn't play a lot of golf coming into it (this event) and didn't know what to expect," said the 46-year-old. "I expected to have to work hard on my game and scramble a lot. To be in the lead with one round to go, it's a real positive."

Italian Francesco Laporta, the overnight leader, recovered from a shaky start to sit alongside Wiesberger in joint-second, with Matt Fitzpatrick a further shot back and Sergio Garcia also in the mix on 11-under.