Scottish golfer chasing third title triumph on Hotel Planner Tour

Euan Walker is one shot off the lead heading into the final round of the Challenge de España as the Scot chases a third win on the Hotel Planner Tour.

Walker followed opening rounds of 65 and 67 at Fontanals Golf Club with another 67 in the penultimate circuit to sit on 14 under par.

The Ayrshireman birdied the fourth, seventh, ninth and tenth before dropping his only shot of the day at the par-3 11th but quickly got that back at the 13th.

Euan Walker in action during the third round of the Challenge de Espana at Fontanals Golf Club in Girona | Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images

“It was really good today,” he said. “I played really nicely throughout and made very few mistakes. I actually hit loads of great putts and quite a lot of them didn’t go in, but that’s just the way it goes after I holed some nice putts over the first two days.”

Walker will be in the final group on Sunday with Frenchman Clement Charmasson, who leapt into the lead with a 66, and Swiss Benjamin Rusch, who is on 12 under.

“Yeah, that is exciting,” admitted the 29-year-old. “It doesn’t come round too often, to be honest, being in that position in a tournament. You have got to play close to your best to be there.”

Walker’s group in the third round included home favourite Luis Masaveu, who shared the halfway lead with Swede Oliver Gillberg and is still in the hunt on 12 under.

“That was quite useful because I thought ‘you know what, if he takes it out with a few birdies then there’s not really much pressure on me’ and I had the opportunity to feed off him, which I was able to do on the front nine,” admitted Walker.

“It’s very changeable,” he added of the conditions at the Girona venue. “We played nine holes in almost perfect weather then it got a little colder and windier before it was absolutely horrible for the last three holes and last two in particular.

“I mean, the par I made on 18 was up there with the best pars I have ever made. Every shot was really difficult.”

Walker made his Hotel Planner Tour breakthrough in the 2022 British Challenge presented by Modest! Golf Management before adding the Swiss Open title last year.

“Try and do exactly the same as I have done the first three days as I have given myself a load of birdie chances,” he said of his plan for the final round on this occasion.

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After carding a second successive 67, Hotel Planner Tour newcomer Graeme Robertson sits just outside the top 20 on eight under, one ahead of both Jack McDonald and Sam Locke after they carded matching 68s.

Elsewhere, Farmfoods Scottish Challenge champion Brandon Robinson Thompson holds a three-shot lead heading into the final round of the Turkish Airlines Open at Regnum Carya in Belek.

Bidding to land a maiden win on the main tour, the Englishman stormed to the top of the leaderboard with a brilliant nine-under-par 62, a course record-equalling effort that was illuminated by an eagle at the 12th.

“The scary part was I probably could have had a few more, but, you know, beggars can't be choosers,” joked Robinson Thompson, who has Spaniard Jorge Campillo, China’s Haotong Li and South African Robin Williams chasing him.

Ewen Ferguson, the sole Scot to make the cut on the event’s return to the circuit, sits joint-ninth, five shots off the lead after carding a 68 that also included an eagle at the 12th.