Unheralded Australian Wade Ormsby is facing the biggest round of his professional career as he takes the lead into the final day of the $7 million Turkish Airlines Open on the European Tour today.
Ormsby, a journeyman pro who is ranked 264th in the world, carded a third-round 68 at the Montgomerie course in Antalya to overtake the second-round leader, Ian Poulter of England.
The 34-year-old from Adelaide has made 199 previous tournament appearances on the European Tour without a single victory. In fact, his only win in 13 years as a professional was the Panasonic Open in India in 2013.
At 12-under, he leads Poulter, Lee Westwood and Marcel Siem of Germany by a shot with a round to play. Sitting 68th in the Race to Dubai standings, he is in with a great chance of forcing himself into the season-ending DB World Championship in Dubai next weekend, an $8 million tournament for the top 60 players on the European Tour.
"It feels great to be in this position,'' said Ormsby."It's a great tournament, great field, so to be up around the front is great and to be leading it makes me pretty happy.
"My game is good. I'm hitting it strong, putting good. But I just walked off the ninth green and said to my caddie Richard that I've actually missed a few putts down the front nine. As good a score as I've shot, I still feel like I left a few out there. So I'll just keep trying to do what I'm doing and see how I end up."