'Number 1' Kepka 48th "Rollercoaster Play"... "How is the knee condition?"
'Rolex Series Round 1' Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship Round 3 2 Under Par, Westwood Takes Lead
Brooks Koepka is reading the putting line on the 5th hole on the third day of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. Dubai (UAE) = Getty Images / Photo by Multibits
View original image[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "6 under par → 3 over par → 2 under par."
The "rollercoaster play" of world No. 1 Brooks Koepka (USA) continues. On the 19th (Korean time) at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club (par 72, 7,583 yards) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Koepka finished the third day of the European Tour Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (total prize money $7 million) with 2 under par, dropping to a tie for 48th place (5 under par 211 strokes). Lee Westwood (England) leads by one stroke (14 under par 202 strokes), with Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) and Francesco Laporta (Italy) tied for second place (13 under par 203 strokes) in pursuit.
Koepka urgently needs to regain his competitive shot feel above all. He underwent knee surgery last October and returned after three months following a withdrawal after the second round of The CJ Cup held in Korea. He started strong with 6 under par on the first day. The problem is his knee condition. He said, "There is still some pain left." In fact, he showed poor form with 3 over par on the second day. That day, he recorded 6 birdies and 4 bogeys. He will check his shots again at the Saudi International on the 30th.
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Westwood started tied for 7th, three strokes behind, and added an eagle on the 8th hole (par 5) along with 6 birdies (1 bogey). He is a veteran with 24 European Tour wins. He is aiming for his 25th win for the first time in 1 year and 2 months since the Nedbank Golf Challenge in November 2018. Wiesberger’s form is formidable. He is a star who won 3 times last season. Sergio Garcia (Spain) joined the final victory competition tied for 5th place (11 under par 205 strokes).
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