James Morrison fires a flawless 65 to take the lead at the HotelPlanner Tour Grand Final as others struggle to stay in DPWT contention.
At the Rolex Grand Final of the HotelPlanner Tour, James Morrison made a significant move on Saturday with a bogey-free round of 65, featuring seven birdies. The Englishman, who started the day in seventh place, now leads the tournament at 13-under-par, putting himself in strong contention for a DP World Tour card. Meanwhile, the day brought mixed results for German-speaking players Lukas Nemecz, Anton Albers, and Maximilian Steinlechner, all of whom are battling for promotion.
HotelPlanner Tour: Steinlechner stumbles after disastrous hole
Maximilian Steinlechner, who began the week ranked second in the HotelPlanner standings, saw his round unravel on Saturday. After a promising start with birdies on holes 1 and 7, the Austrian suffered a nightmare on the par-4 8th hole, carding a 12—eight over par. The error derailed his momentum, and despite two more birdies on the back nine, he finished with a 77 (+5), dropping to even par overall and 30th on the leaderboard. While his DP World Tour card remains likely, hopes of topping the season rankings have diminished.
Nemecz and Albers face pressure on final day
Lukas Nemecz also struggled in the third round. After opening with a birdie, he recorded three bogeys and a double bogey on the 8th hole, finishing with a 76 (+4). He dropped 12 spots to T34 and currently sits just outside the projected qualification zone for the DP World Tour, needing a strong final round to secure his card.
Germany’s Anton Albers posted an even-par round to remain in 29th place. Despite five birdies, a double bogey on hole 14 and a bogey on 17 offset his gains. Albers is now projected to miss out on DPWT qualification by three spots and must deliver under pressure on Sunday to turn things around.