Dubai: Benjamin Hebert is closing in on a sixth career European Challenge Tour title after a four under par 68 on Friday moved the Frenchman two shots clear going into the final day at the Dubai Festival City Challenge Tour Grand Final hosted by Al Badia Golf Club.
As the Challenge Tour season edges towards its climax, with many players still retaining hope of making a late break into the all-important top 15 and thereby earning European Tour status for the 2015 campaign, Hebert is just 18 holes away from creating history in the continent’s second tier.
Hebert is aiming to become the first player to win three times in two separate seasons on the Challenge Tour. And a second successive bogey-free round at Al Badia has put him in the driving seat as he sits two clear of Welshman Oliver Farr at nine under 207 for the tournament.
The 27-year-old is happy with how his game has improved throughout the week and is now hoping to secure a second hat-trick of victories, having first broken through the ranks of the developmental tour with three wins in 2011.
“I have shot two under on day one, then three under on day two and now four under, so it’s been really good so far,” said the 2007 European Amateur Individual Champion. “There were some very important par putts in there but all in all it was a good day.
“The greens today were a little firmer today and faster but I feel good with my putting and that’s a very good thing because I have struggled a bit recently in that department.
“It will definitely be difficult tomorrow [Saturday] because Oliver is playing very well this week. I just want to play my game. I have a very good caddie this week, a good friend of mine, so we’re just enjoying every moment on the course. The weather is perfect and so is the course so we just have to take pleasure from it.
“It’s still very important for me to win because you are near the top of the category list for next year, but I just want to enjoy my day on the course and see what happens.
“I don’t want to think too much about being the first player to win three times for a second time, the only thing I want to think about is playing well [on Saturday] and then make sure that I won’t be coming back to the Challenge Tour again and I can stay on the European Tour.”
Farr, meanwhile, has also been a picture of consistency this week, having dropped just four shots in his opening three rounds, and a three-under 69 left him in outright second place on seven under par.
Jordi Garcia Pinto (70) of Spain and Chilean Mark Tullo (73), both already sure of their European Tour status next year, were two shots further back in a share of third place on five under.
