Norret out in front as Coles slips up with late bogeys

Thomas Norret will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Austrian Golf Open after Robert Coles bogeyed three of the last six holes to slip off the pace in Atzenbrugg.

The Dane birdied the 15th and 17th holes of his third round at Diamond Country Club en route to a two-under-par 70, which moved him to nine under overall and gave him daylight at the top of the leaderboard from English trio Coles (72), Kenneth Ferrie (67), Simon Wakefield (70) and Holland’s Joost Luiten (72).

Ferrie made a rocky start with bogeys on three and five but a run of six birdies in nine holes from the seventh catapulted him into contention.

Norret, who won his only Challenge Tour title nine years ago, told www.europeantour.com: “I just have to go out there tomorrow and try to repeat the feeling I had today, try to relax and enjoy it. It will be tougher to do that in the final round and I will definitely feel the pressure but that’s why I have been doing all the work on the mental side of the game.

“I felt relaxed for most of the day. I was nervous at the beginning of the round but then hit a great approach into the first and made birdie and that really calmed me down and took the pressure off. I have been putting well this week and keeping it all together so it is nice to get some forward momentum on a weekend.”

Norret made early headway with a birdie on the first - a hole he double-bogeyed Saturday - but dropped a shot at the eighth to be level par at the turn.

He was a shot adrift of Coles at that stage but three birdies on the back nine – spoiled only by a bogey at the par-five 13th – ensured he will head into today as the man to catch.

Coles, in contrast, had a disappointing start, bogeying the par-four opening hole where he picked up birdies in each of his first two rounds. But he recovered well, picking up shots on three, eight and ten before faltering late on.

The pair were two of the four overnight leaders along with Luiten and India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar.

Bhullar had a day to forget, carding a six-over-par 78 to fall to joint 30th - eight shots behind Norret.

New Zealander Mark Brown (69) and Frenchman Victor Dubuisson (67) were three shots off the pace with Swedish pair Joakim Haeggman and Christian Nilsson a further stroke adrift after 70s.