DUBAI // When Danny Willett led during the early rounds of the British Open Championship at St Andrews last summer, he said it was “pretty cool” and generally betrayed few signs of nerves.
Leading the Omega Dubai Desert Classic ahead of Sunday's final round, though, is apparently a different story.
The Englishman acknowledged the final 18 holes were guaranteed to be playing on his mind, no matter what chat his brothers could muster over dinner on Saturday night.
“I think if anyone says they don’t think about it, they are lying,” Willett said, after reaching 16-under par to hold a one-shot lead over Rafa Cabrera-Bello at the top of the leaderboard.
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“You think about it, you get into your head, you go through scenarios, bad and good and try to even them out so that when you come out, regardless of what happens early or late on, you’re ready for it.”
If his form holds, he certainly will be ready for it. His game is in good order, which was most clearly evidenced when he eagled the 13th in Round 3, a hole that has brought him plenty of adventures this week.
In Thursday’s opening round, his approach shot to the 550-yard par-5 landed in the water, only to luckily bounce straight back out. He made birdie then.
Playing it in more regulation fashion on moving day, he hit two five-woods then drained a long putt for eagle.
“It was a little bit of a different story to Thursday when we bounced off the rocks,” he said. “We hit a good one today.”
It may have a wholly different feel to the Open, but Willett said the Classic would be a special tournament to win, having grown up watching it.
“I remember watching it as a kid when there wasn’t this much skyline behind,” he said.
“It’s a great golf event. I think the atmosphere around this golf course is fantastic, second to none.
“There’s little gathering areas around tee boxes and greens, and we get a lot of support. It would be nice to win every single event we play over the span of your career, but this would be special.”
Cabrero-Bello, the 2012 champion, would join an illustrious group of multiple winners of this tournament if he is to usurp Willett at the top on Sunday.
Ernie Els, who dropped out of contention this time around after carding 74 in Round 3, has won the Coffee Pot trophy three times, with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Stephen Gallacher twice apiece.
The Spaniard said any wisdom he gleaned from a winning round at the Majlis Course four years ago might count for little on Sunday.
“Lots of players are not far off the lead and all of them are going to have a chance,” Cabrera-Bello, who was runner up at the Qatar Masters last week, said.
“They are definitely all as hungry as I am, if not more. It’s even extra special, because it would be the first time I’ve won a tournament two times. I would join a pretty elite group of players.
‘It’s a long time ago, but still, it’s nice to be out here. I know what to do around here to be able to win, so that will give me extra confidence if the opportunity comes.”
Andy Sullivan starts the final round a shot behind Cabrera-Bello. While his most pressing concern is mounting a title charge, the significance of another strong finish in this city to his pursuit of a place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team is apparent, too.
“Part and parcel of doing well this week is obviously cranking up the points to get up the leaderboard on that,” Sullivan said.
“If I just keep improving and try to keep my feet on the ground, I’ll give myself the best chance of making the team.”
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