Favourable conditions returned for the third round and while there were seven players tied for the lead midway through the day, Winther finished with three birdies in a back nine of 30 to match his opening score and move to 15 under.
Winther has now carded three 62s – his lowest European Tour score – on Spanish islands on the 2021 Race to Dubai after an opening 62 at the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open.
Home favourite Jorge Campillo was his nearest challenger after a 64, with another Spaniard in Alvaro Quiros and Swede Sebastian Soderberg at 12 under.
Pep Angles was four shots off the lead, with Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez making it four Spaniards in the top eight at ten under alongside South African Bryce Easton and German Matti Schmid.
Player quotes
Jeff Winther: Today was completely different, I have to admit. I was a little more controlled tee to green, compared to yesterday, which was literally left, left and more left. It was lovely today, Jorge and I putted really well. Just kept making birdies – it was like a little competition between us almost.
I didn’t work so hard at it, I just said “Forget yesterday, swing like you normally do”. It’s been alright, I was a little bit on the right side today, so tomorrow hopefully it will be straight and in the middle.
Going home to the place we are staying with the kids will definitely remove every focus on golf, so it will be quite easy (to keep emotions in check). It’s more the nerves on course tomorrow that I will have to try to keep in check. Let’s see if Stretch (caddie Ian More) is as good as my old caddie says he is.
Jorge Campillo: It’s been good overall. Good off the tee, irons were good, made some putts. I guess nothing was really great, but overall all pretty good.
I’m hitting the ball with the middle of the club now, and I guess a little draw on the ball is why it’s going a little further. Maybe in the last few months I’ve been hitting it a little further, I don’t know why. I don’t know what it is, I haven’t been working out too much so maybe I’m just swinging it better.
It took a while for me to win one time, so I guess I have more experience than the leader right now, so it will be a hard day tomorrow. You’ve just got to play well and do your best to win.
Alvaro Quiros: I’m very happy with the round today, especially because the long game has been supporting my mentality or vice versa. Putting was good for moments, perhaps a couple more could have ended up in the hole but hopefully I’ve saved them for tomorrow.
It was a completely different situation, the scores today were way better than yesterday, the intensity of the wind wasn’t even half of yesterday’s round. Today was bit more about making birdies and trying to progress instead of hold on and make pars.
Jeff Winther is playing very nicely, eight under today again, so my concern tomorrow is going to be another good day for me, improving a little bit again instead of scoring good.
Sebastian Soderberg: It was overall very good. Hit a couple of poor wedges the last four, five holes or so but the driver was pretty much perfect. Just gave myself a lot of chances. Pretty solid into the greens.
You play with a confidence of playing well (after a runner up finish last week), but you are not really satisfied. I’m just trying to play as well as I can for as long as I can.
The greens are quite soft so I’ve played quite aggressively since day one. There are a few pins where it looks like you shouldn’t be aggressive, but I still think you can attack most of the pins if you are on the fairway.
