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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Matt Verri

DP World Tour Championship: Matt Wallace birdies entire back nine to lead Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland

Matt Wallace birdied every hole on the back nine as he marched up the leaderboard to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the DP World Tour Championship.

The Englishman started the day seven shots off the lead and began his Saturday round nicely in Dubai, but there was no indication of the fireworks that were to come.

Wallace made the turn at three-under for his day and then went on to make birdie on all nine holes that followed, carding a stunning round of 60 that was four shots better than any other player in the field managed.

His run of consecutive birdies and a back-nine 27 equalled DP World Tour records, though the fact preferred lies were in place for the third round means Wallace will not take his place in the record breaks.

That will not concern him too much, as he heads into Sunday at the season-ending event one shot clear of Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland.

Matt Wallace made 12 birdies as he shot a third-round 60 (Getty Images)

"What a day, amazing day," Wallace told Sky Sports.

"I just tried my hardest to get myself back in the tournament, so I'm really happy that I've been able to do that. Played great.

Wallace's longest birdie putt in his final seven holes was a little over six feet, as he put on a masterclass in ball striking and approach play on the Earth Court at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

He got up-and-down from a greenside bunker to make birdie on the 18th hole, and admitted after the round that he was unaware an eagle on that par-five would have seen him shoot 59.

"At the end I didn't even think that it was for a 59," Wallace said.

"Kind of gutted now actually a little bit. Great opportunity to do it. I’ve done it at Moor Park on the West Course [in Hertfordshire] which is only a par-68, but to do it out there would have been really special today.

"Ball in hand helps. I had a couple good lies for up-and-down, but it was fantastic and a good effort.”

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