Justin Harding looked more like his old self at last on Saturday as a three-under-par 68 took him into a share of 15th after the third round of the DP World Tour’s FedEx Open de France at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines outside Paris.
Harding, a two-time winner on the DP World Tour, is in the process of coming back on a medical extension after a long lay-off due to injury, and an opening round of four-under-par 67 put him in a position to do something good this week. He followed it with a one-under 70, but four birdies and a bogey in the third round moved him to eight-under-par ahead of the final round.
He will head into Sunday five strokes off the lead which is held by Swede Jesper Svensson, who had a four-under-par 67 in the third round to move to 13-under. He leads by one from England’s Sam Bairstow and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen, with the English duo of Dan Bradbury and Joe Dean in a share of fourth on 11-under.
Harding shares 15th with, amongst others, Justin Rose, Matteo Manassero of Italy and Belgium’s Thomas Detry.
Casey Jarvis had a four-under-par 67 in his third round to move to six-under and a share of 30th. He was one stroke clear of Brandon Stone, who had a one-under 70 to move into a share of 39th.
Dylan Frittelli had a one-over 72 and was in a share of 58th on one-under, while Robin Williams battled to a six-over 77 and was on three-over in 69th.
