Joshua White shot a sparkling five-under 66 to surge to the top of the leaderboard as young Rayhan Thomas kept his hopes alive of becoming the first amateur to win a MENA Golf Tour event, going into the final round of the Dubai Creek Open on Tuesday.
Playing in the day’s very first group, White took advantage of slightly more receptive conditions at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, going bogey-free to reach eight-under, one ahead of Austria’s Florian Praegant and three off Englishman Jake Shepherd and overnight leader Thomas.
Read more: Dubai-based 15 year old in control after first round at Dubai Creek Open
Defending champion Luke Joy, who carded a second-round 70, was a further shot adrift on four under as Spain’s Xavier Puig and Scotland’s Daniel Kay shared the sixth on three under.
Thomas, the 15-year-old Dubai-based prodigy from India, three-putted the 18th to return a level-par 71, but fancies his chances of going the full distance on Wednesday.
“I struck the ball really well, especially with my irons, and created many birdie opportunities, but didn’t putt well as I did in the first round. And that made the difference,” said Thomas, who opened with a 66.
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