Harrison Endicott’s challenge at the Bahrain Championship took a wrong turn on ‘moving day’ as the Australian suffered a bad run-in at the Royal Golf Club.
When the 27-year-old Sydneysider holed seven feet for birdie on Saturday’s 11th hole, he was one shot away from the top on a crowded leaderboard and ready to challenge for the lead heading into the final round. It looked like it was done.
Instead, a disappointing ending occurred over the next six holes, effectively ending the PGA Q School winner’s bid for a first European Tour title as he finished with a 1-over-par 73.
This puts Endicott at 6 under par for the tournament, six strokes behind South African leader Dylan Frittelli, who has a two-stroke advantage.
It all started to go awry for Endicott on the 12th hole, when his poor tee shot on the par 3 went slanted and he missed the green on his second shot, sending the ball downhill again. .
To overcome the miserable situation, he then missed a short bogey putt from 4 and a half feet aiming for a double.After that, he could not regain his momentum and had bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes, but he made a 6-foot birdie. I sank the putt. He ended up tied for 11th place.
Frittelli won twice on the European-based circuit in 2017 before switching to the PGA Tour and winning the 2019 John Deere Classic during his rookie season. The 2023 season ended in disaster, but they look rejuvenated in 2023 with their first win in almost five years. offshore.
“The important thing is just to be aggressive,” he said. “If I’m one shot behind, I’ll try to make it a two-stroke lead, and if I’m two shots behind, I’ll try to make it a three-stroke lead. That’s my goal and my mindset for tomorrow.”
Frittelli had five birdies and two bogeys to move to 12 under par, two strokes behind compatriot Ocky Strydom, and one stroke behind Sweden’s Jesper Svensson. There are seven players in a tie for fourth place, with a five-shot difference.
Endicott’s compatriot David Micheluzzi shot a 71 to tie for 45th place at 1 under, Jason Scribner (74) tied for 64th at 2 over, and Haydn Barron (76) tied for 72nd at 4 over. .