Sunday 13 September 2015 12:20, UK
Lee Slattery put himself in prime position for back-to-back victories as Paul Lawrie hauled himself back into contention on an eventful third day of the KLM Open at Kennemer.
Slattery shares the 54-hole lead on 16-under with Rafael Cabrera-Bello after both carded superb 63s, while Lawrie was also seven-under for the round and sits just one shot adrift of the top two.
On a day of remarkably low scoring in Zandvoort, European Tour history was made when Magnus A Carlsson fired a record 40th ace of the season, which was followed by the 41st barely an hour later when Wade Ormsby made a hole-in-one at the 11th.
Slattery, who lifted the second title of his career in Russia last week, reeled off three straight birdies from the second and added another at the ninth to turn in 32 before dropping his only shot of the day at the next.
But he responded with an eagle at the long 12th, and further gains at 15 and 17 lifted him alongside Cabrera-Bello at the top of the leaderboard.
"It's like a dream come true at the minute," said Slattery when asked about his golden run of form. "I went into last week with a lot of pressure on and won, and then I've come here with no pressure whatsoever and just been trying to play good golf.
"It's a fabulous feeling and I feel a lot more relaxed this week than I was last week. Over the years I've been told a lot that I should be doing better, that I've under-achieved. I knew deep down that there are certain aspects of my golf swing I struggle with, and I had to get stronger.
Consistency the key
"I've been working so hard with my coach Alan Thompson - he's helped me a lot over the last year and been there for me when I really needed him. He's turned my game around and made it a lot more consistent.
"A lot of things went my way today. At 12 it looked like it was going to stay at the back of the green, which would have been a really difficult putt, but it rolled back down to about 15 feet and I managed to knock it in for eagle."
Cabrera-Bello put together an astonishing front-nine 29 with six birdies and a pitch-in for eagle at the seventh, but he was unable to maintain his momentum after the turn and parred every hole on the inward nine.
He said: "I sunk a very long putt on the first hole and after the all the other birdies were pretty much tap-ins. It wasn't frustrating making nine pars in a row. It could've been one or two better but I'll take 63. Being in the final group on the last day is always an honour and very exciting."
Lawrie's second-round 71 was 10 shots higher than his opening effort, but the veteran Scot got back on track with a flawless seven-birdie card which he capped with his third three of the week at the closing hole.
Young Belgian Thomas Pieters is a further stroke behind after handing in a best-of-the-day 62, with birdies at each of the first four holes and four in a five-hole span on the back nine.
Ormsby's ace at 11 was the perfect response to a double-bogey on the previous hole, and he also added three further birdies while dropping shots at 15 and 17 in a 68 that left him alongside Morten Orum Madsen and Mikko Ilonen on 13 under.
Matthew Fitzpatrick, who surged into contention on day two with a spectacular 60, saw his chances nosedive with a dreadful run of three bogeys and a double-bogey in five holes on the inward half.
The young English talent slipped eight shots off the lead, while pre-tournament favourite Martin Kaymer is also eight under following an erratic 68.
