Betfred British Masters R3

Pepperell takes narrow lead ahead of crowded leaderboard

British Masters 2021 R3
May 12-15
The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, England
£1,850,000
Round 1, Round 2, Round 4

British Masters 2021 R3 - Pepperell takes narrow lead ahead of crowded leaderboard
(Getty Images)

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes


Eddie Pepperell birdied the 18th to take a one shot lead at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Danny Willett. He signed for a 68 to move to 10-under.


British Masters 2021 R3

“It was pretty quick, downhill, left to right (the birdie putt on the last). I had a great feel from long range today and I trusted that. It was one of those putts. I holed a great one on 14. I’ve been using a device for my putting called a Capto, which has been really about acceleration in the stroke. I use it a lot from 40 ft, so what I’ve did well today, and indeed this week, has been about trusting the feel I get from it. I’m hoping to see it carry over a bit to mid range, but long putts have been fantastic.”

Pepperell won the event in 2018 and went on to a career best 14th on the Race to Dubai. Since then he has fallen outside the top 50 and has found his golf difficult at times.


British Masters 2021 R3

“I think (confidence returns) quite quickly, although I’ve been awful to be honest so I don’t feel that confident. I’ve still got things going on in the swing that I can feel aren’t where they once were and can cause me aggro, so the game still feels difficult. I remember the game feeling easier when I was playing better a few years ago. That’s what I’m trying to get back to, and I’m confident I will. I’m having to put some really strong feels to hit good golf shots. Obviously there are times when that is easer to achieve than others. There were times out there today I didn’t get it and times when I did.”

“I feel good, I feel really calm. Quite enjoying generally hitting better shots, having a good time on the course. I’m very much still in the process. I recall 2018 was a lot like that for me and I think that was part of the reason why I had some success. Every round was very process driven, and I know it can sound cliched sometimes, but just being in your own mind on every shot, trying to accomplish what you are trying to accomplish – whether it is a shot or a putt – that goes a long way and that will be the key for me tomorrow. I do feel calm and we’ll see what comes out. I’m quietly excited but we’ll see.”


British Masters 2021 R3

One shot behind Pepperell is a group of six players including Edoardo Molinari who started the day six shots off the lead and carded the lowest round of the week with a 64.

“I think I finally made some putts today,” said Molinari. “I have been hitting the ball like this for a few weeks, even a few months to be honest, but I couldn’t make a putt. But today, on the front nine I putted really well and on the back nine the putter went cold again, but to go a few under on the back nine is obviously a good score.”


British Masters 2021 R3

“On Tuesday I just had a putting lesson off Andy Paisley, which is Chris Paisley’s brother, and I didn’t put great the first two days but I had better feelings overall, and today was definitely better. I know what I need to work on but sometimes when you see a new guy he says the same things differently and it is definitely a better week on the greens. Still not great but the way I am hitting the ball, if I can manage to not lose strokes on the green,I think I will be up there.”

“There are a lot of pins on the edges onthe front. Obviously eight and 18 have been moved back, eight makes for a massive difference, for example I cannot carry the bunkers so I hit three wood, four wood this morning. 18 I think is a little bit easier from the back tee because you can hit driver and you know that even if you miss it right, it is never going to go in the bunker, at least guys my length. So I think 18 all in all is easier, it is a fun pinas well, but with no wind today there will be a few good scores in the afternoon.”

British Masters 2021 R3

Pos.
Player
To Par
R1
R2
R3
Total
1
Eddie Pepperell
-10
70
68
68
206
T2
Dean Burmester
-9
69
73
65
207
T2
Calum Hill
-9
67
70
70
207
T2
Robert MacIntyre
-9
71
66
70
207
T2
Adrian Meronk
-9
70
72
65
207
T2
Guido Migliozzi
-9
68
72
67
207
T2
Edoardo Molinari
-9
71
72
64
207
T8
Dave Coupland
-8
71
69
68
208
T8
Justin Harding
-8
69
69
70
208
T8
Matthias Schwab
-8
66
75
67
208
T8
Andy Sullivan
-8
69
71
68
208
T12
Richard Bland
-7
68
69
72
209
T12
Mikko Korhonen
-7
70
71
68
209
T12
Jordan Smith
-7
71
69
69
209
T12
Danny Willett
-7
69
72
68
209
T12
Chris Wood
-7
69
72
68
209
T17
Louis De Jager
-6
68
72
70
210
T17
Julien Guerrier
-6
72
66
72
210
T17
Andrew Johnston
-6
71
71
68
210
T17
Clement Sordet
-6
68
74
68
210
T17
Ashun Wu
-6
73
71
66
210
T22
Aaron Cockerill
-5
70
73
68
211
T22
Sam Horsfield
-5
72
70
69
211
T22
Raphael Jacquelin
-5
75
67
69
211
T22
Min Woo Lee
-5
75
67
69
211
T22
Tapio Pulkkanen
-5
72
70
69
211
T27
Adri Arnaus
-4
69
72
71
212
T27
Alexander Björk
-4
73
72
67
212
T27
Laurie Canter
-4
70
71
71
212
T27
Josh Geary
-4
70
72
70
212
T27
Søren Kjeldsen
-4
71
72
69
212
T27
Matthieu Pavon
-4
68
71
73
212
T27
Matthew Southgate
-4
72
73
67
212
T27
Dale Whitnell
-4
70
74
68
212
T27
Bernd Wiesberger
-4
68
72
72
212
T36
Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez
-3
71
73
69
213
T36
Jazz Janewattananond
-3
73
69
71
213
T36
Richard Mansell (a)
-3
69
71
73
213
T36
James Morrison
-3
68
73
72
213
T36
Renato Paratore
-3
73
70
70
213
T36
Richie Ramsay
-3
70
71
72
213
T36
Ricardo Santos
-3
73
70
70
213
T43
Alejandro Cañizares
-2
71
74
69
214
T43
Paul Dunne
-2
72
69
73
214
T43
Ross Fisher
-2
69
74
71
214
T43
Alexander Levy
-2
71
71
72
214
T43
Adrian Otaegui
-2
73
71
70
214
T43
Sebastian Soderberg
-2
73
72
69
214
T43
Julian Suri
-2
68
74
72
214
T43
Sami Valimaki
-2
71
73
70
214
T43
Darius van Driel
-2
74
70
70
214
52
Shubhankar Sharma
-1
73
71
71
215
T53
Ashley Chesters
E
73
69
74
216
T53
Thomas Detry
E
73
72
71
216
T53
Thorbjørn Olesen
E
71
73
72
216
T53
Garrick Porteous
E
70
74
72
216
T53
Robin Sciot-Siegrist
E
72
73
71
216
T53
Lee Slattery
E
72
68
76
216
T59
Gavin Kyle Green
1
75
70
72
217
T59
Chris Paisley
1
70
74
73
217
T59
Cormac Sharvin
1
73
71
73
217
T59
Johannes Veerman
1
71
74
72
217
T59
Oliver Wilson
1
73
72
72
217
64
Thomas Bjørn
2
72
71
75
218
T65
Jamie Donaldson
3
74
71
74
219
T65
Jean Baptiste Gonnet
3
71
73
75
219
T65
Joachim B. Hansen
3
71
71
77
219
T65
Joel Stalter
3
69
72
78
219
T65
Steven Tiley
3
74
71
74
219
T70
Michael Lorenzo-Vera
4
71
74
75
220
T70
Jack Senior
4
72
73
75
220
T70
Jeff Winther
4
72
70
78
220
73
Ignacio Elvira Mijares
6
73
72
77
222
74
Jonathan Caldwell
9
76
69
80
225
CUT
Maverick Antcliff
2
73
73
146
CUT
Lucas Bjerregaard
2
74
72
146
CUT
Jorge Campillo
2
76
70
146
CUT
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño
2
76
70
146
CUT
Pedro Figueiredo
2
74
72
146
CUT
Gregory Havret
2
77
69
146
CUT
Sebastian Heisele
2
72
74
146
CUT
Maximilian Kieffer
2
74
72
146
CUT
Pablo Larrazabal
2
71
75
146
CUT
Alvaro Quiros
2
74
72
146
CUT
Bernd Ritthammer
2
73
73
146
CUT
Ajeetesh Sandhu
2
74
72
146
CUT
Max Schmitt
2
68
78
146
CUT
Nicolai Von Dellingshausen
2
73
73
146
CUT
Justin Walters
2
74
72
146
CUT
Oliver Farr
3
74
73
147
CUT
Tom Gandy
3
73
74
147
CUT
David Law
3
72
75
147
CUT
Jake McLeod
3
73
74
147
CUT
Wade Ormsby
3
74
73
147
CUT
Robert Rock
3
73
74
147
CUT
Connor Syme
3
75
72
147
CUT
David Dixon
4
72
76
148
CUT
Stephen Gallacher
4
76
72
148
CUT
Rasmus Højgaard
4
74
74
148
CUT
Sihwan Kim
4
72
76
148
CUT
Romain Langasque
4
75
73
148
CUT
Haotong Li
4
76
72
148
CUT
Andrea Pavan
4
69
79
148
CUT
Carlos Pigem
4
71
77
148
CUT
Callum Shinkwin
4
74
74
148
CUT
Toby Tree
4
71
77
148
CUT
Fabrizio Zanotti
4
78
70
148
CUT
Lars van Meijel
4
77
71
148
CUT
Marcus Armitage
5
76
73
149
CUT
Sean Crocker
5
72
77
149
CUT
Lorenzo Gagli
5
75
74
149
CUT
Benjamin Hebert
5
76
73
149
CUT
David Howell
5
74
75
149
CUT
Matthew Jordan
5
74
75
149
CUT
Masahiro Kawamura
5
72
77
149
CUT
Jason Levermore
5
74
75
149
CUT
Pedro Oriol
5
71
78
149
CUT
Steven Brown
6
71
79
150
CUT
Bradley Dredge
6
75
75
150
CUT
David Horsey
6
77
73
150
CUT
Janne Kaske
6
73
77
150
CUT
Martin Kaymer
6
74
76
150
CUT
Niall Kearney
6
73
77
150
CUT
Joakim Lagergren
6
77
73
150
CUT
Zander Lombard
6
76
74
150
CUT
Richard McEvoy
6
75
75
150
CUT
Jason Scrivener
6
79
71
150
CUT
Michael Bullen
7
74
77
151
CUT
Yi Keun Chang
7
72
79
151
CUT
SSP Chawrasia
7
75
76
151
CUT
Ben Evans
7
77
74
151
CUT
Scott Hend
7
78
73
151
CUT
Rikard Karlberg
7
72
79
151
CUT
Francesco Laporta
7
76
75
151
CUT
Marc Warren
7
74
77
151
CUT
Kristoffer Broberg
8
76
76
152
CUT
Alejandro Del Rey (a)
8
76
76
152
CUT
Matt Ford
8
76
76
152
CUT
Ross McGowan
8
75
77
152
CUT
Benjamin Poke
8
74
78
152
CUT
Suradit Yongcharoenchai
8
76
76
152
CUT
Gaganjeet Bhullar
9
77
76
153
CUT
Colm Moriarty
9
78
75
153
CUT
Robin Roussel
9
73
80
153
CUT
Pep Angles
10
76
78
154
CUT
Wil Besseling
10
77
77
154
CUT
Marcel Schneider
10
79
75
154
CUT
Grant Forrest
11
78
77
155
CUT
Adrien Saddier
11
77
78
155
CUT
Rhys Enoch
13
74
83
157
CUT
David Drysdale
14
76
82
158
CUT
Scott Jamieson
14
80
78
158
CUT
Graeme Storm
18
82
80
162
RETD
Oliver Fisher
RETD
Haydn Porteous
73
W/D
Paul Waring
73
Updated: October 6, 2022