Patrick Reed and Sergio García are making their presence felt at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, sitting just four shots off the lead heading into Sunday’s final round. Both former Masters champions have put themselves in striking distance of Calum Hill, who clings to a narrow advantage after a rollercoaster third round.
Hill, who started the day as the solo leader, didn’t have his best stuff early on. A few missteps on the front nine opened the door, but to his credit, the Scot steadied the ship on the back nine and carded an even-par 72. That keeps him at 16-under for the tournament, two strokes ahead of Germany’s Freddy Schott.
Schott, still chasing his first DP World Tour victory, posted a solid 70 to stay in the hunt. But the real intrigue might be coming from the group sitting at 12-under-García, Reed, and Grant Forrest. All three are within striking distance, and with one round to go, the pressure is on.
García looked sharp with a four-under 68, but it was Reed who made the biggest move. The Texan fired a sizzling 66-tied for the best round of the day-thanks to an eagle and five birdies. He started the day ten shots off the pace, but by the time he walked off the 18th green, he had clawed his way into contention.
“It couldn’t have been more perfect out there for scoring,” Reed said after his round. “The greens were still receptive, it was warm, the ball was flying, and there was barely any wind. If you were going to go low, today was the day.”
Reed wasted no time taking advantage of the conditions. He birdied four of his first six holes, then added a birdie, a bogey, and an eagle on the back nine to cap off a round that puts him right back in the thick of it. With his recent win in Dubai still fresh, he’s now eyeing back-to-back titles on the DP World Tour-and more importantly, one of the ten PGA Tour cards up for grabs via the Race to Dubai standings.
For García, this week is as much about sharpening his game as it is about chasing a trophy. With the LIV Golf season opener in Riyadh just around the corner, he’s looking to build momentum. But make no mistake-he’s right in the mix to win here, too.
As for Hill, he knows he’s still in a good spot despite the up-and-down round. “I actually felt like I played quite nicely,” he said.
“Just had a few errors and misjudged a couple of putts early on that put me behind a little bit. I managed to come back a little bit on the back nine and put myself in a good position for tomorrow.”
And he’s not wrong. A two-shot lead going into Sunday is a position any player would take at the start of the week. But with big names like Reed and García charging hard, Hill’s going to need to bring his best stuff in the final round if he wants to hold them off.
Sunday’s shaping up to be a fascinating finish in Bahrain. The leaderboard is tight, the conditions are ripe for scoring, and the field is loaded with players who know how to win. Buckle up-this one’s far from over.