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Walters ‘Relishing the opportunity’ in Hong Kong

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HONG KONG - DECEMBER 10: Justin Walters of Republic of South Africa reacts after his match at 18th green during round 3 of 2016 UBS Hong Kong Open at The Hong Kong Golf Club on December 10, 2016 in Hong Kong, Hong Kong. (Photo by On Man Kevin Lee/Getty Images)

Justin Walters hit three fairways on Saturday, but salvaged a round of 69 at Hong Kong Golf Club to be seven under par and within four shots of the lead.

‘I managed to keep a decent score and give myself a chance for tomorrow, which I’ve struggled with in the past. Hopefully we can stay in touch and get the job done,’ he said.

The 36 year old knows all about being in contention and he was eager to chase down the leaders, Sam Brazel and Rafa-Cabrera Bello, who were 11 under par.

‘I’ve been working so hard, I can’t tell you how hard,’ said Walters. ‘This is why we work, to be in position to win tournaments. I’m relishing the opportunity tomorrow.’

He was Graduate of the Year on the 2014 Challenge Tour, which also produced Henrik Stenson, Branden Grace, and Brandon Stone. This year Walters finished 92nd on the Race to Dubai with 13 cuts made in 23 starts, and six of them were top-20 results.

His quest for a European Tour victory continues, starting with the final round at Hong Kong Golf Club on Sunday.

‘I don’t think it’s the kind of golf course where you can pull away too quickly. You have to be really precise and anyone who goes very low has done exceptionally well. Hopefully we can play a bit better tomorrow,’ he said.

Cabrera-Bello started the day three strokes clear, but had a rollercoaster front nine with four bogeys, three birdies, and two pars.

‘Today my score has all colours of the rainbow in it,’ he said. ‘There’s been a lot of positives and a lot of negatives.’

Things seemed to calm down for the Spaniard when he birdied the 10th, but another twist came at the par-four 14th, where he double dropped. His resolve show in the form of birdies at the 15th and 17th, giving the 34 year old a share of the lead once more.

‘I was trying to find a stable day where I was just playing solid like I had these past two days. Staying patient, waiting for the birdies to come and I end up going up and down all day,’ he concluded.

Brazel shrugged off a bogey at the first and played clean golf from there onwards, adding birdies at the fifth, 11th, 13th, and 16th to sign for 67.

‘I started a little nervous on the first but I guess that’s the situation you’re in. I felt the nerves a little bit at lunch time and just sort of grounded it out and it was fun out there,’ he said.