Richard McEvoy has put himself in with a chance of a long-awaited maiden European Tour title after an enthralling duel with playing partner Bryson DeChambeau on a stormy Saturday in Hamburg.
The 39-year-old from Essex shot a third-round 69 to share the lead on 12 under at the Porsche European Open with DeChambeau — one shot ahead of the latter’s fellow American, US Masters champion Patrick Reed, and Matthias Schwab.
It was a late finish at the Green Eagle Golf Courses because play was suspended as lightning flashed ahead for almost three hours during mid-afternoon.
Scot David Drysdale had an eventful round of mixed fortunes which concluded with a double-bogey seven on the last hole for a level-par 72.
By contrast, McEvoy’s compatriot Paul Casey finished with a flourish for a round of 69 to lie fifth — just ahead of Drysdale, Australian Scott Hend, Italy’s Renato Paratore and Frenchman Romain Wattel, all on eight under.
David Horsey is a third Englishman in the top 10 after completing his five-under round of 67 before the weather turned.
McEvoy made ground on the front nine, taking only 32 shots to edge ahead of DeChambeau — who had led the previous evening, battled back after the rain but then dropped a shot with a missed putt for par on the 16th.
His rival, a winner on the Challenge tour just last week, held his nerve with a solid run of seven successive pars to close out his long day in encouraging fashion despite the disappointment of missing his chance of a birdie on the last, while DeChambeau then took his to level up again.
Austrian rookie Schwab had returned after the hooter sounded during a mid-afternoon downpour to draw level with McEvoy by holing the shortest of birdie putts.
He then found trouble in the water to fall back on the 11th but recovered his composure to finish his round with a birdie and ensure he remained one of the most likely challengers to McEvoy’s bid for glory on Sunday.
Latest third round scores in the Porsche European Open (Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 72):
204 Bryson DeChambeau (USA) 66 68 70, Richard McEvoy 70 65 69
205 Patrick Reed (USA) 70 66 69, Matthias Schwab (Aut) 68 67 70
207 Paul Casey 69 69 69
208 David Drysdale 69 67 72, Scott Hend (Aus) 68 71 69, Romain Wattel (Fra) 67 69 72, Renato Paratore (Ita) 72 66 70
209 David Horsey 69 73 67
210 Christofer Blomstrand (Swe) 72 67 71, Sam Horsfield 70 71 69, Jeunghun Wang (Kor) 73 65 72, Bradley Dredge 68 69 73, Hideto Tanihara (Jpn) 69 70 71
211 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 70 69 72, Maximilian Kieffer (Ger) 69 71 71, Lasse Jensen (Den) 68 72 71, Callum Shinkwin 71 70 70, Scott Jamieson 70 71 70, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 72 68 71, Marc Warren 73 71 67, Philipp Mejow (Ger) 69 69 73, Rak hyun Cho (Kor) 72 72 67, (a) Allen John (Ger) 68 73 70
212 Mike Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 67 75 70, Joel Stalter (Fra) 67 76 69, Sebastian Heisele (Ger) 71 69 72, Oliver Fisher 68 71 73, Matias Calderon (Chi) 71 72 69, Tapio Pulkkanen (Fin) 71 72 69, David Lipsky (USA) 69 75 68, Connor Syme 68 72 72
213 Matthew Nixon 73 71 69, Christopher Mivis (Bel) 71 69 73, Thomas Detry (Bel) 72 72 69, Nacho Elvira (Spa) 72 72 69, Alexander Levy (Fra) 69 68 76, Daisuke Kataoka (Jpn) 71 71 71
214 Peter Hanson (Swe) 70 71 73, Liam Johnston 72 70 72, Richie Ramsay 75 69 70, Oscar Serna (Mex) 73 69 72, Justin Walters (Rsa) 72 72 70
215 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 69 72 74, Julien Guerrier (Fra) 72 72 71, Henric Sturehed (Swe) 70 71 74, Kim Koivu (Fin) 72 70 73, Adrien Saddier (Fra) 72 71 72, Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 70 71 74, Jeff Winther (Den) 70 72 73, Oliver Farr 70 74 71, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 72 71 72
216 Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 71 70 75, Marcel Siem (Ger) 71 70 75, Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 73 71 72, Sebastien Gros (Fra) 72 70 74, Andrew Dodt (Aus) 68 74 74, James Morrison 70 70 76, Jin-ho Choi (Kor) 69 75 72
217 Lucas Bjerregaard (Den) 75 68 74, Lucas Herbert (Aus) 75 67 75, Oliver Wilson 73 71 73, Birgir Hafthorsson (Isr) 72 70 75, Scott Fernandez (Spa) 72 68 77, Jonas Kolbing (Ger) 73 70 74, Jonathan Thomson 78 65 74
218 Nico Geyger (Chi) 72 69 77, Steven Brown 68 73 77, Clement Sordet (Fra) 71 72 75, Jordan Smith 71 72 75, Adrian Otaegui (Spa) 70 74 74
219 Benedict Staben (Ger) 67 77 75, Matthieu Pavon (Fra) 72 70 77
220 Luca Cianchetti (Ita) 72 72 76
221 Nicolai Hojgaard (a) (Den) 69 75 77, Nick Cullen (Aus) 73 71 77
222 Kristian Krogh Johannessen (Nor) 71 72 79
224 Jbe Kruger (Rsa) 73 71 80
