Staff WriterEwen Ferguson might not have parted the Belgian skies, but he certainly weathered them better than most on a sodden Saturday at Rinkven International.
The 28-year-old Scot proved that when the heavens open, and the leaderboard tightens, it’s the unflappable who thrive.
His two-under-par 69 in the third round of the Soudal Open sees him clinging to a two-shot cushion at 13-under—his fifth time holding a 54-hole lead on the DP World Tour.
Yes, it rained. Yes, the umbrellas were out and the scorecards soggy. But Ewen Ferguson wasn’t about to let a bit of continental precipitation derail his bid for glory.
“It was tough out there, but I just tried to keep my head down and hit solid shots,” Ferguson might have said, if he had the time between towel-drying his grips and draining birdie putts.
Ferguson birdied the par-four 3rd before handing one back at the 6th, turning at level par and looking every bit the player in control.
Then came a quick one-two jab—birdies at 10 and 11—before the golf gods got their revenge with a bogey at 13, after a misjudged approach overshot the green. Lesser mortals may have folded.
Ferguson? He brushed it off like a man swatting midges in a Highland breeze and dropped another birdie at the 16th. Two cool pars later, he signed for 69 and left the field chasing shadows—or at least raincoats.
Ewen Ferguson: I had to be really patient, to be honest with you. My range session was awful — it was so cold, my hands were freezing, and I was hardly finding the middle of the face. I was thinking, this could be a long day, which it was.
But once you’re out there, you start to feel the vibe from the people around you. I was playing with Marco, who’s a good friend, and we just tried to enjoy it as much as we could, even with the bad weather.
I just hung in there all day. It wasn’t pretty — teeing the ball down, squashing drivers, just trying to find fairways. Nothing flashy, but it’s Saturday. You just need to keep yourself in it. Like I said, you can lose it on a Saturday, but you can’t win it.
Behind him, England’s John Parry is keeping him honest. Parry, fresh from winning the DP World Tour’s Opening Swing and still riding high from his triumph in Mauritius, carded a slick 67 to reach 11-under.
He’ll tee it up with Ferguson in the final group on Sunday, hoping to spoil the Scotsman’s soggy party.
Dutchman Darius van Driel, meanwhile, has bounced back from a wrist injury like a man who’s just remembered how much fun this game can be. At nine-under, he’s got a puncher’s chance.
But it was the early risers who made the biggest moves. Frenchman Frederic Lacroix and Finland’s Oliver Lindell cashed in their calm-morning karma with matching 65s before the storms rolled in.
England’s Jordan Smith was the day’s showman, tying the course record with a blistering 64 that vaulted him 48 places up the board, landing him in a share of fourth at eight-under with the others.
As for Sunday? It’s Ferguson’s to lose—but golf has a way of making sure nothing is handed over without a scrap.
He’s shown this week that he can grind when the going gets grim, and with 18 holes between him and a third DP World Tour title, Ewen Ferguson will need all of that grit once again. And maybe a dry towel.
