ATZENBRUGG, September 24, 2011 (AFP) - Denmark's qualifying school graduate Thomas Norret took a two-shot lead after three rounds of the Austrian Open on Saturday, carding a two-under-par 70 for a nine-under-par total.
He is two ahead of overnight co-leaders Robert Coles and Joost Luiten, as well as English pair Simon Wakefield and Kenneth Ferrie.
"It was very nice," said Norret, who won his only Challenge Tour title nine years ago.
"I felt relaxed for most of the day. I was nervous at the beginning of the round but then hit a great approach into the first and made birdie and that really calmed me down for the rest fo the day and took the pressure off me.
"The wind was a lot stronger today than yesterday so it was a tough golf course.
"I have been playing well for a while now and making a lot of cuts but just not doing much on the weekends.
"I have been putting well this week and keeping it all together so it is nice to get some forward momentum on a weekend.
"You have to putt well here but I have been working hard with my mental coach and really trying to focus on enjoying myself out there."
Of the leading five, only Ferrie has won on the European Tour and he moved into contention with a joint-best-of-the-day 65, highlighted by a birdie at the 15th after a tee shot to three feet.
Leading and selected third round scores at the Austrian Open at the Diamond Country Club, Atzenbrugg, on Saturday (GBR and IRL unless stated, par 72):
207 - Thomas Norret (DEN) 67-70-70
209 - Robert Coles 72-65-72, Joost Luiten (NED) 67-70-72, Kenneth Ferrie 72-70-67, Simon Wakefield 73-66-70
210 - Mark Brown (NZL) 71-70-69, Victor Dubuisson (FRA) 72-71-67
211 - Joakim Haeggman (SWE) 69-72-70, Christian Nilsson (SWE) 71-70-70
212 - Gary Murphy 72-68-72, Gary Orr 69-71-72, Christoph Gunther (GER) 72-71-69, David Drysdale 73-70-69, Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP) 73-69-70, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 70-71-71, Philip Golding 74-68-70
213 - Richard Bland 71-71-71, Daniel Gaunt (AUS) 67-72-74, Magnus A Carlsson (SWE) 71-75-67, Tommy Fleetwood 72-72-69, Alastair Forsyth 74-69-70, Oskar Henningsson (SWE) 70-75-68
Selected
215 - Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 69-68-78, Padraig Harrington 75-70-70
224 - Alex Haindl (RSA) 73-74-77