Saltman in driving seat

Sunday 7 October 2012

Scotland's Lloyd Saltman will battle it out today with former Walker Cup player Sam Hutsby and ex-US Amateur Champion Byeong-hun An in a three-way shootout at the ALLIANZ Open de Lyon at Golf de Gouverneu.

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Saltman, the former English Amateur Open Stroke Play champion who twice represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup, holds a one-shot lead after a second successive three-under-par round of 68 moved him to the front on 10 under.

The Edinburgh golfer, seeking a maiden win on the European professional tour, began the day three shots off the pace but rallied with a birdie at the par-3 third before bogeying the seventh – thanks to a difficult lie in the rough for his approach – to reach the turn in level par. The determined 27-year-old, who would significantly boost his chances of making the season-ending Apulia San Domenico Grand Final with a win, came out with all guns blazing on the more testing back nine and back-to-back birdies at the 12th and 13th, followed by another gained shot at the last, elevated him to the top of the leaderboard."It was a great back nine," said Saltman. "It was a bit breezier today and I didn't really get a chance on the front nine and I said to [brother and caddy] Zack, I want to be leading after today."So we just said 'be patient' and then we were joking about it when I hit it close at the 18th. It all worked out."A shot back were Hutsby and South Korean An, who in 2009 became the youngest player to win the US Amateur Championship, beating the record set the year before by Danny Lee, and previously held by Tiger Woods. The 21-year-old also needs a high finish this week to keep alive his season on the Challenge Tour and, after a three-under-par third round of 68 which included a birdie at the last, he will be in good spirits as he also chases a maiden professional victory.Scotland's Chris Doak is one behind Englishman Hutsby and An and one ahead of countryman Raymond Russell.

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Saltman in driving seat

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