DP World Tour : Spanish Open Tee Times Weather Leaderboard
Marco Penge defied the early loss of his pitching wedge to take a stranglehold on the 2025 Open de España presented by Madrid on day three.
Despite frequent trips to the trees around Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, including that costly visit on the second hole, Penge put on an exhibition in a run of eight birdies in ten holes for a 64 to lead by four strokes at -16 after 54 holes.
Playing partner Joel Girrbach (67) was his nearest challenger at -12, Patrick Reed (67) and Dan Brown (67) a shot further back at -11 and Tom McKibbin (67) is -10
“I was just trying to go as low as I could," Penge said afterwards. “I’ve learnt in the past that when you’re leading, you can’t just… not play steady, that’s not the right word, but you’ve got to be going forward because everyone else will catch you up.
"It was nice to prove to myself that I can do it."
Penge began the day nine under, one shot ahead of Girrbach, Jeff Winther and Aaron Cockerill. He broke his wedge playing from beneath a tree at the second, though he brilliantly scrambled to save his par.
"My ball was just behind the tree, I didn't really have a follow-through - I knew it was going to break," he admitted in an on-course interview. "I kind of picked a club I didn't think I was going to need the rest of the way, just made sure not to hit my hand on the tree and... yeah, poor pitching wedge."
There was little among the early starters to back up the tag of 'Moving Day', though Calum Hill shot 66 and Thriston Lawrence birdied three of his first seven holes. Rahm made an ominous move as, though his eagle at the fourth was followed by a bogey, he birdied the next three to reach -7.
Girrbach was first to break out as he finished his front nine with five birdies in six holes to power to -12 under while the third member of the group Aaron Cockerill fell out of contention with an opening nine of 41.(edit)
Penge rejoined the Swiss at the top with four straight gains around the turn, and moved ahead on his own after another magical escape from the trees on the 13th.
“Whatever the outcome is, it’s going to be a great experience, great memories for me," said Penge. "I just love playing golf, I love competing, I love playing in front of big crowds like we have here. I love to challenge myself, whether that’s good or bad.
“So tomorrow’s just another day for me, tomorrow doesn’t define anything, it’s just another day, an 18-hole round of golf. Whatever happens, happens, it’s not the end of the world, I’ve still got my family at home and all that stuff so I’m lucky.”
The group of five players at -9 featured Coussaud, who bounced back from Friday's 73 with a 66, Levy (69), Bernd Wiesberger (69), Thorbjørn Olesen (68) and Grant Forrest (66)
Puig and Angel Ayora were the leading Spaniards at -8, with Rahm's round losing momentum on the back nine as he ended the day -4.
There were holes-in-one for John Parry - at the 17th, where a new BMW iX3 was on offer as a prize - as his 66 took him to -6, and fellow Englishman Dan Bradbury at the ninth as he sat alongside Rahm at -4.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
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