With his eyes firmly set on a maiden HotelPlanner Tour title, Dan Erickson delivered a sensational third-round 63 to tie the course record at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club in Ajman and seize a narrow one-shot lead heading into the final day of the UAE Challenge on Sunday.
Hot on Erickson’s heels are Italy’s Renato Paratore and South Africa’s JC Ritchie, sitting just one shot back at 15-under-par. Ritchie, who started the day tied for the lead, posted a solid 67 to stay firmly in contention, while Paratore – the 2020 British Masters champion – surged up the leaderboard with a sparkling 64.
With his eyes firmly set on a maiden HotelPlanner Tour title, Dan Erickson delivered a sensational third-round 63 to tie the course record at Al Zorah Golf & Yacht Club in Ajman and seize a narrow one-shot lead heading into the final day of the UAE Challenge on Sunday.
Hot on Erickson’s heels are Italy’s Renato Paratore and South Africa’s JC Ritchie, sitting just one shot back at 15-under-par. Ritchie, who started the day tied for the lead, posted a solid 67 to stay firmly in contention, while Paratore – the 2020 British Masters champion – surged up the leaderboard with a sparkling 64.
Ireland’s Mark Power is still in the mix at 13-under, with Italy’s Filippo Celli and France’s Oihan Guillamoundeguy just a shot behind him.
Local hopes remain alive too: Dubai resident Adri Arnaus fired a composed 69 to reach 11-under, while UAE representative Joshua Grenville-Wood, playing under the Emirates Golf Federation banner, trails him by three.
But it was Dan Erickson who lit up the leaderboard with the round of the day. The 26-year-old American picked up five shots on the front nine, including a run of three straight birdies from the fourth, before adding four more on the back to post a superb nine-under 63.
Erickson, who recently finished tied for sixth at the Porsche Singapore Classic on the DP World Tour, was delighted with his third-round effort at Al Zorah, moving to 16-under-par for the tournament.
Finding something
“I am very pleased. I hit it nicely and put it nicely,” he said. “I didn’t really have a good warm-up, but as soon as I got out there, I found something and rolled with it the whole day. I hit my approaches really well, which I’ve been struggling with lately—especially some of the wedges. They were really solid strokes and well controlled.”
After earning DP World Tour status during last year’s Q School, Erickson is hoping his experiences on golf’s global tour will benefit him as he chases his first HotelPlanner Tour victory.
“It was a great experience playing in the final group in Singapore, and I’ll be in the final group tomorrow. That experience—just staying in the present, sticking to my process, and trying not to worry about what everyone else is doing—should help.
“I’ve started working with a new coach and focusing on some good things. I just want to stick to the process, get a little better day by day, and see where we are at the end of the year.”
Skaik stays composed
Lady luck proved unkind to the UAE’s Ahmad Skaik when his driver broke on the back nine. With no spare, the 27-year-old was forced to use his 3-wood from the tee for the remaining holes, yet composed himself admirably, dropping only one shot—on his final hole.
“From the start, I was hitting the ball pretty decent. I missed a few six-footers for birdie and had a horseshoe on one from four feet. So, it felt like a tough day, but I was fighting back.
“I had a birdie on 18 (my ninth) and went to the back nine. I hit a few good shots, and then from hole four, I felt something wrong with the driver. It was flying weird.
“On hole six, I tried it again and it came out dead. I gave it one more try on seven—felt like I pulled it—but it came out like a low hook. That’s when we saw the driver was broken. I had to continue with the 3-wood, so I had four irons into second shots instead of 9-irons.”
He also got unlucky with a horrible lie at the edge of the bunker on the par-3 fifth hole.
“This is golf—it is what it is. It’s not the first time things like this have happened. I’ve just learned to accept it. These things happen to everyone, and it’s not the last time it’s going to happen, so I just take it on the chin and try to keep moving forward.
I’ll try to find a driver now and then go low again tomorrow!”
The final round of the UAE Challenge will start at 7:40 am, with Erickson, Paratore, and Ritchie teeing off in the final group at 9:40 am.
News Source : Khaleej Times
