Staff WriterThere’s a certain honesty to a bogey-free round, especially when the wind’s blowing and the field is flinching.
Connor Syme was all about that kind of golf today at The International, stringing together a 66 that left him two shots clear of the chasing pack and within touching distance of his maiden DP World Tour title.
A Round Without a Ruffle
The Scot’s final two holes were the stuff of highlight reels—birdies to close out a day when the rest of the field was just trying to keep the wheels on.
Syme’s 66 was the best round of the day, proof that sometimes it’s not about how flashy your game is, but how steady your pulse stays.
“It was tough out there,” he admitted afterwards, but you wouldn’t have known it watching him.
No bogeys, no fuss—just a man with a plan, executing every shot like he had somewhere better to be.
The Chase Is On
Joakim Lagergren kept himself in the conversation with a level-par 71 that looked a lot harder than it sounds.
The Swede’s approach into the final green was a peach—a 234-yard missile that left him an eagle chance to close the gap. He settled for birdie, two shots back heading into Sunday.
Portuguese battler Ricardo Gouveia shares third on four under with Syme’s fellow Scot Richie Ramsay and Italy’s Francesco Laporta.
All three had to scrap for every shot today, but they’re close enough to keep the leaders honest tomorrow.
The Crowd Swells, the Stakes Climb
The leaderboard behind them is stacked with proven winners and hopefuls—Fabrizio Zanotti and Rafa Cabrera Bello at three under, Pierre Pineau and a handful of others hanging around at two under.
Even Alejandro Del Rey and Lucas Bjerregaard threw in four-under 67s, making sure tomorrow’s final round has no shortage of storylines.
The Scot with the Steely Gaze
For Syme, this isn’t his first rodeo at the top of a DP World Tour leaderboard—he’s been here three times before.
But with a five-year gap since his last professional victory on the HotelPlanner Tour, this one would mean a bit more.
And there’s no better place to do it than on a Sunday at The International, with history waiting on the other side of the 18th green.
Don’t Miss It
Syme’s got the edge, but Lagergren’s breathing down his neck and the rest of the field is loaded with enough experience to turn a two-shot lead into a footnote.
One way or another, it’ll be the sort of final round that reminds you why golf’s the best four-letter word out there.
