Advantage Fisher and Pepperell as thrilling finale looms in Doha

A final day thriller is in the offing with Englishmen Oliver Fisher andEddie Pepperell well-placed for victory and a host of others hoping togatecrash their party in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters. While Pepperell is looking for his first career title, Fisher is aiming for his second win on the European Tour since 2011.At yesterday’s third round, Fisher reeled off eight birdies, out ofwhich four came on consecutive holes, to end the day with a superb 65 tosit level with Pepperell on 16-under 200 on a cold but calm day at DohaGolf Club.The USA’s Sean Crocker is two shots behind on 202 while a bunch of five players on 204 also fancy their chances.“I’m very pleased with my day today and looking forward to tomorrow,”said Fisher, who last won on the European Tour in 2011 at Czech Open,six years after becoming the youngest Walker Cup player at the age of16.“The important thing for me is to make sure I give myself enough timewith things, to make sure I’m aware of what I’m doing and try and enjoyit as much as I can, I did that today. My caddie was great. I gavemyself some chances coming in and thankfully I made them,” the29-year-old said.“We’ve still got one round to go, a lot of golf to be played out there.I’m good friends with Eddie so hopefully we’ll have a bit of fun outthere,” he said.Pepperell took a share of top spot on the first hole and maintained thatposition until Fisher finished with four birdies in a row to card a 65and set the clubhouse target at 16 under.He chipped in for a remarkable bogey on the 12th after hitting the rocksin front of the green three times but he would soon lose his lead to asensational finish from Fisher.Pepperell then fought back with birdies on the 16th and 18th in his 66to move two ahead of Crocker, who is two strokes back at the end of theround, representing the English duo’s closest challenge.  The pair has not enjoyed the best of starts to the season, with sixmissed cuts from 10 combined events, but they found their form in Qatar.Final-hole birdies for both the leaders highlighted their coolness,while a solitary bogey apiece showed their consistency.“I would say that was my best round, especially with the position I wasin going into the day. I hit a lot of good shots, I maybe lost a littlefeeling through the turn, but I bounced back nicely and I didn’t let itbother me,” said Pepperell. The 27-year-old has been working with a new coach recently and it looksto be paying rewards as he shares the lead after 54 holes for the secondtime at a European Tour event.“That’s a nice score on a Saturday and coming down the last few holes,certainly down the last seeing Oli on 16 under, I didn’t want to finishbehind the leader so I’m happy to be at least tied.”David Horsey started with an eagle en-route to matching Fisher’s score(-6) for the day, leaving him four adrift, while Adrian Otaegui, whobegan the day in the lead is now five shots back after a disappointing73.Italian duo Lorenzo Gagli and Andrea Pavan, Frenchman Grrgory Havret andSwede Marcus Kinhult were then two shots further back at 12 under.Gagli had also shared the lead after birdies on the second, fourth,fifth, ninth and tenth but parred his way home in a bogey-free 67. Pavanhad a birdie-birdie-birdie finish as he also posted a 67, Kinhulteagled the 16th and birdied the last en-route to the same score, whileHavret made a single bogey in his 70. Spanish duo GonzaloFernandez-Castano and Pablo Larrazabal, English pair James Morrison andChris Wood, Swede Joakim Lagergren, Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera andJapan’s Hideto Tanihara are at 11 under.MENA Golf Tour professional Josh White of England, who qualified bywinning the professional division of the 2018 Qatar Open, has performedsuperbly. Having made the cut with rounds of 67, 73, White shot animpressive third round of 69 yesterday to sit in a share of the 43rdplace at seven under par. The final round gets underway at Doha Golf Club at 6.30am with the leadgroup of Oliver Fisher, Eddie Pepperell and Sean Crocker teeing off at8.30am.