Nacho Elvira is riding high into the final round of the Soudal Open, clutching a formidable four-shot lead as he seeks his second DP World Tour title in Belgium.
The Spaniard has been a model of consistency at the Rinkven International Golf Club, commencing his week with consecutive bogey-free rounds of 64.
His Saturday performance, a solid 67, did include his first dropped shots of the tournament, yet he reached 18 under par, equaling the season’s largest 54-hole lead.
Elvira’s journey mirrors a rollercoaster of nerves and triumphs. His previous final round at the 2021 Cazoo Open saw him with a six-shot lead, only to claim victory via a tense playoff.
As he steps onto the course in Antwerp, the memory of that dramatic win lingers, urging him to solidify his dominance without the need for heart-stopping finishes.
Reflecting on his recent form, Elvira’s season showcases remarkable steadiness, with only one missed cut by a single stroke and a commendable second-place tie at the Magical Kenya Open in February.
His confidence is further buoyed by his familiarity with Rinkven, where he finished in the top ten two years ago.
Nacho Elvira: “I started pretty solid with three birdies in a row. Hitting the ball well, quite in control”.
“At the end of the day I felt a bit tired, but managed to save a few pars, made a couple of birdies at the end. Not the best swing on 18th tee, but I’m happy overall”.
“My approach game is really good. This week it has been fantastic I think. I’m also putting really well, that helps”.
“As long as I can hit it pretty straight off the tee, I think I can make myself a lot of opportunities. Hopefully do that tomorrow”.
“I would have taken ten more shots (going into the final round at the Cazoo Open three years ago)”.
“I was leading by six then, leading by four now. With three or four more I would have been more relaxed”.
“But this game is funny sometimes. I came here not hitting it as well as I wanted, and all of a sudden I’m leading by four”.
“It’s a weird game. I learned a lot about being patient that day, so hopefully I can take that into tomorrow”.
Close on Elvira’s heels are Englishmen Ross Fisher and Joe Dean, who shared the second spot with Elvira in Kenya, alongside Frenchman Romain Langasque and Dane Niklas Nørgaard, all positioned at 14 under.
Andrew Wilson, another English competitor, is just a stroke behind them.
The local crowd has plenty to cheer for with Belgium’s own Thomas Pieters, who finished his round with consecutive birdies, moving to 12 under.
He shares this position with Spain’s Sebastian Garcia. Adding to the excitement, European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald had a blazing start to his third round, birdieing the first five holes and finishing with a 65, placing him among a cluster of nine players at 11 under.
The final day promises both anticipation and unpredictability. With thunderstorms forecasted, round four tee times have been advanced to between 08:00 and 10:00 local time, featuring a two-tee u-draw start.
As the storm clouds gather, all eyes will be on Elvira, hoping he can weather both the literal and metaphorical storms to secure a commanding victory at the Soudal Open.
Round Three Scores
195 N ELVIRA (ESP) 64 64 67,
199 J DEAN (ENG) 68 65 66, N NORGAARD (DEN) 64 68 67, R LANGASQUE (FRA) 64 67 68, R FISHER (ENG) 66 63 70,
200 A WILSON (ENG) 64 68 68,
201 S GARCIA (ESP) 70 64 67, T PIETERS (BEL) 67 66 68,
202 S BAIRSTOW (ENG) 74 65 63, L DONALD (ENG) 68 69 65, L CANTER (ENG) 69 67 66, G MIGLIOZZI (ITA) 70 66 66, R MANSELL (ENG) 67 68 67, M LORENZO-VERA (FRA) 69 65 68, P WARING (ENG) 68 66 68, S JONES (NZL) 62 70 70, A COCKERILL (CAN) 66 66 70,
203 C HILL (SCO) 70 68 65, P LARRAZ?BAL (ESP) 70 67 66, B RUSCH (SUI) 67 69 67, M MANASSERO (ITA) 68 68 67, M JORDAN (ENG) 64 70 69,
204 A SADDIER (FRA) 68 69 67, J NICHOLAS (USA) 67 70 67, C SYME (SCO) 65 71 68, A HIDALGO (ESP) 67 68 69, L NEMECZ (AUT) 70 65 69, A FITZPATRICK (ENG) 66 68 70,
205 J MORRISON (ENG) 67 71 67, M ROTTLUFF (GER) 69 68 68, P FIGUEIREDO (POR) 67 70 68, T CLEMENTS (ENG) 68 69 68, S FRIEDRICHSEN (DEN) 68 68 69, A OTAEGUI (ESP) 68 68 69, F LACROIX (FRA) 68 66 71, M BALDWIN (ENG) 66 67 72,
206 M KIEFFER (GER) 70 69 67, D MICHELUZZI (AUS) 69 69 68, J KO (FRA) 68 70 68, S TARRIO (ESP) 74 64 68, N VON DELLINGSHAUSEN (GER) 66 69 71, G WIEBE (USA) 72 63 71, T VAILLANT (FRA) 68 67 71,
207 U COUSSAUD (FRA) 68 71 68, F CELLI (ITA) 70 68 69, J SCRIVENER (AUS) 72 66 69, J WINTHER (DEN) 67 70 70,
208 F LAPORTA (ITA) 68 71 69, J SMITH (ENG) 69 70 69, N BACHEM (GER) 68 70 70, A PAVAN (ITA) 69 69 70, Z LOMBARD (RSA) 69 69 70, J DONALDSON (WAL) 69 69 70, B WIESBERGER (AUT) 69 68 71, L RUUSKA (FIN) 71 65 72, S SHARMA (IND) 69 67 72,
209 J SCHAPER (RSA) 68 71 70, F ZANOTTI (PAR) 72 67 70, E PEPPERELL (ENG) 71 67 71, J GUMBERG (USA) 70 67 72, E MOLINARI (ITA) 70 67 72, M ELVIRA (ESP) 69 68 72,
210 N COSSEMENT (AM) (BEL) 71 68 71, T LAWRENCE (RSA) 67 72 71, R CABRERA BELLO (ESP) 71 68 71, C PURCELL (IRL) 67 72 71, J VEERMAN (USA) 68 71 71, M SCHNEIDER (GER) 69 70 71, J PRINSLOO (RSA) 68 71 71, D FICHARDT (RSA) 72 66 72, R RAMSAY (SCO) 68 70 72, L DE JAGER (RSA) 67 69 74,
212 B STONE (RSA) 73 65 74, J BLIXT (SWE) 66 70 76,
214 J HARDING (RSA) 72 67 75,
215 S GALLACHER (SCO) 69 70 76,
