Former US Amateur champion Andy Ogletree seized the lead even as Justin Quiban dropped to joint 48th in the International Series Egypt at the Madinaty Golf Club in Cairo, Egypt Saturday.
The 26-year-old Filipino made only two birdies against two bogeys and a double bogey for a two-over-par 72, but stayed under par through 54 holes on 1-under.
Angelo Que was the next best-placed Filipino on 1-over following a 71. He had two birdies against three bogeys for a share of 61st.
Miguel Tabuena, on the other hand, shot a 72 for joint 66th on 2-over. He had four birdies against three bogeys and a triple bogey.
Ogletree continued to put together one of the finest tournaments of his short professional career when he took control of the $1.5 event.
The American, helped by a brilliant birdie, eagle finish shot a five-under-par 65 to reach 15 under for the tournament and open up a three-shot lead from Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, who also made a fine eagle on 18, and second-round leader Richard T. Lee from Canada.
Eight-time DP World Tour winner Wiesberger also carded a 65 while Lee returned a 69.
Last year’s US Amateur champion American James Piot (64) and his countrymen Jarin Todd (67) and Sihwan Kim (68), Thailand’s Prom Meesawat (66) and Jinichiro Kozuma from Japan (68) are tied for fourth, four behind the leader.
Ogletree started the day one back from Lee but pulled ahead of the pack with three birdies on the trot from the fifth and narrowly stayed ahead of a crowded leaderboard all day until his fantastic finish.
He holed a 12-footer for birdie on the par-five 17th before reaching the 345-yard par-five 18th in one with an eye-catching drive before he holed out from 30 feet.
“I had a slow start early on, took me a little bit of time of get into the round,” said 24-year-old Ogletree, who turned professional in 2020 a year after winning his country’s National Amateur.
“I was playing really well but three putted two which was super frustrating, but I kept telling myself to stay patient, there are a lot of birdies out there.”
“I never beat myself up and I knew that I would make some birdies coming in. You always know that 17 and 18, in the back of your mind, are easy holes so throughout the round I kept saying wait for that. Made a good putt on 17 and a long one on 18 so that was just a testament to staying patient and trusting what I was doing all day.”
