25th BMW International Open: German duo set sights on anniversary victory – Els leads world-class field.

Munich. Fun and games with the weather, outstanding golf, and a leaderboard set up for a cliff-hanger of a finale: 13,000 spectators were captivated by an eventful third round at the 25th BMW International open. After 54 holes of the anniversary tournament, three players are tied on -15: Alex Noren (Sweden), Ernie Els (South Africa) and Alexander Levy (France). Noren carded one of the lowest rounds of the day – a six-under 66 that included a spectacular eagle on the par-4 16th, which saw the Swede drive the green before holing a 25-foot putt. Els recovered excellently from two bogies on the front nine to card his second successive round of 69 (-3).

“I obviously go into the final day with high expectations now,” said Noren. “That does not necessarily make it any easier. As such, I will just try to think from one shot to the next – and not about possibly winning the tournament.” Els, who will call on the experience gained from 65 wins as a professional as he aims for his first triumph at the BMW International Open on Sunday, said: “All in all, I have to be happy with my day. A lot went wrong on the greens for me on the front nine, but then I adapted to the conditions and was able to improve.” Levy added: “An unbelievable day. After the morning’s rain, the weather was excellent. Perfect for playing golf. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. One thing is certain: I will do my very best.”

The leaders are followed by Matthew Baldwin (England) and Thomas Bjorn (Denmark, both -14) who are tied in fourth. Bjorn produced an impressive round of 65 to keep his hopes of becoming the first person in the 25-year history of the BMW International Open to win the tournament three times, having previously triumphed in 2000 and 2002. “Anyone who wants to win here will have to put in a great performance tomorrow, the leaderboard is so tight,” said the experienced Dane. “The first two days I’ve been decent, but not great. I stepped it up today, and that gives you a lot of confidence for Sunday.”

Behind Peter Uihlein (USA, -13), five pros are lurking in a tie for seventh place on twelve under par. This group includes defending champion Danny Willett (England), BMW Brand Ambassador Martin Kaymer and Marcel Siem (both Germany). “I had great fun today. The support from the fans was incredible. I am happy with my game and had a lot of chances. Unfortunately a lot of balls lipped out on the greens today. However, you can’t really do anything about that. It is a shame, but there is still everything to play for tomorrow,” said 2008 winner Kaymer.”

Siem was less happy with his round of 69, but is also hoping for a successful final round on Sunday. “Anything is possible if you shoot a low round tomorrow. Maybe everything will drop tomorrow and I still have a chance,” said the local favourite. Just as he did at last year’s BMW International Open, Siem will play alongside Kaymer in an all-German flight on Sunday.

As well as Bjorn, Spain’s Sergio García (-11) also played himself into contention on day three. The world number 15 produced a flawless round of 65 (-7), which catapulted him into a tie for twelfth place. “A nice round, but I needed it,” he said afterwards. “I was finally able to make a couple of putts, which I struggled with throughout the first two days. The course held up very nicely despite all the rain.”

Many of the pros had to put in a late shift on the Championship Course, after heavy rain early in the morning forced the tournament organisers to delay the start for 60 minutes. Another downpour also resulted in play being suspended for over an hour at 11:53. As a result, the last flights did not make it back to the clubhouse until well after 20:00. Despite the at time torrential rain, the course remained in excellent condition, as many players confirmed after their rounds.

Although not everything went to plan out on the Championship Course for Dustin Johnson (USA, -6), who had to settle for a round of 73, the big-hitter still had cause to be happy: he turned 29 on Saturday. The popular American celebrated together with his girlfriend Paulina Gretzky (Canada) at the Players’ Party on Friday night, which was held under the motto “Lederhose meets Kilt”.

The stage is now set for a thrilling finale to the 25th BMW International Open. The first pros take to the course for their final round at 06:55. The final flight, featuring Levy and Noren, is scheduled to tee off at 12:57.