Staff WriterIt took a touch of magic from Thriston Lawrence to light up the gloom at the Omega European Masters on Saturday, as the past champion reeled off a flurry of birdies to grab a two-shot lead in the fog-delayed third round at Crans-sur-Sierre.
The South African, who lifted the trophy here in 2022, looked like a man who’d been locked in a closet with his putter and told to come out swinging.
After holing a monster birdie putt at the notoriously tricky opener, he promptly cancelled out a bogey at the second by firing five birdies in succession from the fifth, a run that had his scorecard glowing like a Swiss watch dial.
By the time play was halted due to darkness at 8.15 pm local time, Lawrence was perched at 17-under with a nervy three-footer for par waiting on the 13th green when play resumes on Sunday morning.
“I’m very, very happy,” Lawrence admitted. “I started with a nice long putt for birdie, which settled the nerves and got me going. Unfortunate bogey on the next but five birdies in a row after that – I’m really happy with the way I’m putting, hitting it fairly good.
The putter’s been hot all week. I’ve made more long putts this week than I have in maybe a year. I’ve got a new putter in the bag, put it in last week for the first time and putted decent last week.”
Birdie Blitzes and Eagles in the Alps
Not that Lawrence had the fireworks to himself. Finland’s Sami Välimäki went full Viking berserker on the front nine, rattling in six birdies in a row as part of nine in twelve holes after an early bogey. He’s just two shots back at 15-under with three holes left to finish his round.
Two-time winner Matt Fitzpatrick joined the party with a pair of eagles and three birdies through 14 holes before the horn blew. He’ll restart on Sunday also two adrift, eyes set on reclaiming a title he’s twice carted home from Switzerland.
Defending champion Matt Wallace lurks another stroke behind on 14-under with five holes still on his dance card, while Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen sits alongside him with just the 18th left to negotiate.
Sunday Showdown in the Alps
With round three due to resume at 7.50 am local time and the final round not set to start before 10.30 am, Sunday promises to be a marathon for players and a spectacle for fans.
The Omega European Masters often produces a logjam of contenders, and this year’s weather-stalled edition looks no different.
Fog may have slowed the script, but with Lawrence’s new putter on fire, Välimäki’s birdie barrage, and Fitzpatrick’s eagles soaring over the Alps, the final act at Crans-sur-Sierre could be one for the ages.
