Date: May 26, 2013
Author: Omnisport

Canizares grabs Wentworth lead

Spaniard Alejandro Canizares will take a one-shot lead into Sunday&aposs final BMW PGA Championship round. The 30-year-old birdied the last two holes at Wentworth to jump ahead of England&aposs Lee Westwood and claim the overnight lead at nine-under par. Two early birdies on the front nine put him in contention, however two further birdies on 11 and 12 were cancelled out by bogeys on 13 and 15. He hit back with the late burst, though, to edge ahead of Westwood, who eagled the fifth hole en route to carding 32 for the front nine. He came back home with three birdies and a solitary bogey on the 16th to boost his chances of winning a tournament he has not yet triumphed in. Italian Matteo Manassero is also well set for a final-round charge after he added a 69 to opening rounds of 69 and 71 to lie two shots off the lead. Scotland&aposs Marc Warren is also two shots back after he could only follow an impressive front nine with a level-par 37 on the back nine. Irishman Shane Lowry is on his own at six-under par, thanks to a classy 69, with a group of eight players lying four shots off the lead. Spaniard Sergio Garcia put the Tiger Woods racism furore behind him to card a superb four-under 68, which included a birdie on the last hole. Italian Edoardo Molinari and brother Francesco are also in the group, together with English quartet Lee Slattery, Richard Bland, Eddie Pepperell and Mark Foster. First-round leader James Kingston, 2008 champion Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros are in a group on four under alongside Scot Richie Ramsay who shot a best-of-the-day 66. Four-time major winner Ernie Els struggled to a level-par 72 that sees him six shots back alongside early pacesetter Mikko Ilonen of Finland. Justin Rose finished the day on one under with fellow Ryder Cup stars Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke stuck on level par after three rounds. Three-time winner Colin Montgomerie did himself justice with a respectable round of 72 to head into the last round at two-over par. Canizares only has one European Tour win to his name and will partner twice runner-up Westwood in the final group on Sunday.