Paul Casey storms atop the leaderboard at Omega Dubai Desert Classic
Paul Casey used an eagle on the final hole of the day to move to 15 under and vault into the lead after the third round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates.
Casey didn’t drop a shot on Saturday while posting six birdies along with the eagle. His 64 tied the lowest round of the tournament and pushed him a shot ahead of Robert MacIntyre and two ahead of Brandon Stone.
To his credit, Casey used a booming driver to find advantageous positions throughout the day in gaining the lead.
Omega Dubai Desert Classic: Leaderboard
“To finish off with an eagle was pretty cool. You can never say flawless … it was very controlled, challenging at the same time with a little bit of wind here and there,” said Casey, an Arizona State product. “The strong asset I have in this game is the way I drive it, the length. The game has gone more and more towards length and I’m fortunate that I’m still able to lean on that strength and compete out here.”
What a finish @Paul_Casey 👏
Ties the lowest round of the week.#ODDC pic.twitter.com/WqboFjgup4
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 30, 2021
Sergio Garcia, who bolted out on Thursday with a 66 but followed with a pedestrian 73 on Friday, jumped back within range of the leaders with a third-round 67, which puts him five strokes behind Casey heading into the final round.
Other notables near the top are Justin Rose (-8), and a strong group at 7 under that includes Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood, Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry.
