Dean Burmester and Caleb Surratt head into Saturday tied for the lead at the PIF Saudi International on the Asian Tour.
Friday marked moving day at the PIF Saudi International, and while the leaderboard saw some shifts, German players Martin Kaymer and Maximilian Rottluff were unable to keep pace. Kaymer, who had posted solid rounds earlier in the week, struggled to maintain momentum and carded a 1-under-par 70. He enters the final round tied for 38th at 6 under par. Rottluff finished even par for the day and sits tied for 60th. At the top, American Caleb Surratt and South African Dean Burmester both stand at 17 under par after three rounds.
Mixed Results for Kaymer and Rottluff
Martin Kaymer’s third round was a rollercoaster. He opened with a birdie on the first hole and added another on the ninth, offsetting a bogey on the fifth to make the turn at 1 under. However, the back nine proved more turbulent. A bogey on 12 was followed by a birdie on 13, but back-to-back bogeys on 14 and 15 derailed his round. Kaymer finished strong with birdies on 16 and 18, ending the day at 1 under par.
Maximilian Rottluff had a rough start with a double bogey on the opening hole and a bogey on the fifth. He recovered with birdies on 7, 11, and 13 to get back to even par. A bogey on 16 and a birdie on 18 capped off his round, keeping him at even par overall for the day and tied for 60th.
Burmester and Surratt Set the Pace
Dean Burmester delivered another stellar performance on Friday, shooting a 7-under-par 63 to climb into a share of the lead. After a slower start with a 69 on Wednesday, he bounced back with rounds of 63 and 64. Impressively, Burmester has now gone 37 holes without a bogey. His Friday round included three birdies on the front nine and four more on the back, finishing strong to tie for the lead.
Caleb Surratt, who had been leading solo after near-flawless play over the first two days—including six consecutive birdies on Wednesday—lost his solo lead after a 3-under-par round. Early bogeys on holes 1 and 4 set him back, but he rebounded with five birdies over the final ten holes to stay in contention. Both players will tee off Saturday with a chance to claim the title.