Richard Mansell tees off in tomorrow’s final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews knowing full well this could be the greatest day of his golf career so far.
The 27-year-old from Staffordshire began today’s third round at the challenging Carnoustie course with a lead of two shots, while most of the chasing pack were playing at the easier Kingsbarns and St Andrews.
But far from being intimidated, he put together a courageous five-under-par round of 67, following earlier rounds of 66 and 68, to take his 54-hole total to 15 under and increase his lead to four shots over Daniel Gavins, Alex Noren and Ryan Fox. Niklas Nørgaard Møller and Antoine Rozner are a further shot behind.
On a sunny, breezy day, Mansell howed exactly why he has become one of the most talked-about young golfers in Europe, with five top-ten finishes this year on the DP World Tour.
Mansell, whose sole professional success came on the EuroPro Tour back in 2019, said: “I was looking forward to the challenge of Carnoustie. My coach, Mike Kanski ,was here at the start of the week and he’s helped massively. I feel really in control of my game right now. I’ve been in contention a lot this year and had chances on Sundays. They say in golf thet every time that you don’t lose, you learn. That’s what I feel like I’ve done really well this year.”
“This is links golf, anything can happen. It’s St Andrews. People can shoot 60. I’m just really focused on myself right now. I’m going to try and shoot a good score and see where it puts me.”
Art dealer Alex Acquavella is one of the favourites for the Alfred Dunhill Links Team Championship heading into the final round. The American – partnered by Hertfordshire’s Callum Shinkwin – posted a team score of 61 at Kingsbarns to finish on 28-under-par, two behind leaders Bruce Mitchell and pro Christiaan Burke.
“Callum played great today, I hit it well too and we’ve been playing off each other well all week,” said Acquavella. “Callum is such a disciplined and focused player and he hits the ball a mile. It’s been fun to watch this week. Kingsbarns is the most beautiful place ever and it is a super-fun tournament. I’ll be nervous tomorrow, but I’ll just try to do what I’ve been doing the whole time. Just swing easy and have fun.”
For the latest scores from the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, click here
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