James Morrison fires a flawless 65 to take the lead at the HotelPlanner Tour Grand Final as others struggle to keep DPWT hopes alive.
Saturday’s third round of the Rolex Grand Final on the HotelPlanner Tour saw James Morrison make a dramatic leap to the top of the leaderboard. The Englishman carded a bogey-free 65, highlighted by seven birdies, moving him to 13-under-par overall. After starting the day in seventh, Morrison now finds himself in prime position to secure a coveted DP World Tour card.
Meanwhile, it was a mixed day for the German-speaking contenders. Austrian Lukas Nemecz and Germany’s Anton Albers are still fighting for their DPWT qualification, while Maximilian Steinlechner, who entered the event second in the season-long rankings, suffered a major setback despite being relatively secure for promotion.
Steinlechner’s nightmare hole derails round
Maximilian Steinlechner began his round steadily with birdies on holes 1 and 7, suggesting another solid performance. However, disaster struck on the par-4 8th hole, where the Austrian recorded a catastrophic 12—eight over par. The meltdown derailed his momentum, and despite two more birdies on the back nine, he finished with a 77 (+5) for the day. Now sitting at even par and T30, Steinlechner’s chances of winning the event or topping the season standings have diminished, though his DPWT card remains likely.
Nemecz and Albers face final-round pressure
Lukas Nemecz also struggled on Saturday. After opening with a birdie, he dropped three bogeys and a double bogey on the 8th, ending the day with a 76 (+4). Falling 12 spots to T34, Nemecz is currently projected to miss DPWT qualification by a single place and will need a strong final round to change that.
Anton Albers, the only German in the field, shot an even-par round to remain in 29th. Despite five birdies, a double bogey on 14 and a bogey on 17 offset his gains. He now sits at -1 overall and has dropped three spots in the projected rankings. Albers will also need a strong Sunday to secure promotion to the DP World Tour.