Van Phillips Holds on to Solo Lead at European Senior Masters

• Van Phillips leads the European Senior Masters by one shot after a second-round 67.
• Felipe Aguilar is second, with Jeev Milkha Singh third after a bogey-free 64.
• Five shots separate the leading nine players heading into the final round at La Manga Club.

Van Phillips will carry a one-shot lead into the final round of the Champions UK plc European Senior Masters after a 6-under 67 at La Manga Club took him to 14-under.

The Englishman shared the first-round lead with Matthew Cort after a bogey-free 65, but Saturday asked more of him. A handful of important up-and-downs kept his card intact before seven birdies, including back-to-back gains at the 6th and 7th, kept him in front. Phillips claimed his maiden Staysure Legends Tour title at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open in Germany in 2024 and is now 18 holes from a second.

“There were a couple of key up-and-downs straight off the bat,” said Phillips. “I made really good putts on ten and 11, which were my first two holes, and then a great chip on 12. They were real momentum shots. I birdied 13 and then it started to flow a little bit.”

“I’ve always been a pretty good player tee to green. It’s just a case of whether I hole the putts or not, really. That would be a pretty typical round for me.”

Aguilar turns in 31

Chile’s Felipe Aguilar briefly led after birdies at the second and third, then added four more to reach the turn in 6-under 31. He signed for a 67 to sit one behind on 13-under. Aguilar remains the only Chilean to have won on the DP World Tour, with victories at the 2008 Indonesia Open and the 2014 Championship at Laguna National.

“I made two good five-footers for par on the front nine, which made a huge difference,” said Aguilar. “Then on the 12th, I made an eight-footer for par and birdied the next. Those are key moments.”

“Sometimes golf gives you something and sometimes it takes away. Yesterday I had a couple of good breaks, so it was taken away today. But I can’t complain. I’m in contention for tomorrow and that’s what you’re looking for.”

Singh’s round of the day

Jeev Milkha Singh produced the standout score of the week so far, a bogey-free 9-under 64 that lifted him into third place on 12-under. The four-time DP World Tour winner missed just one green in regulation and made nine birdies, three of them across his closing four holes.

The Indian finished T3 at the Reignwood Legends Championship in Beijing last month.

Hugo and Cort three back

Hugo and Cort share fourth on 11-under. Hugo carded a 69 as he chases a third Staysure Legends Tour title of the season, having followed his breakthrough in Beijing with a course-record 62 to win in Portugal last week.

Cort signed for a 70. The Englishman has top-ten finishes at the Reignwood Legends Championship, the Sergio Melanogen Senior Italian Open and the Portugal Legends Championship, and is still chasing a first title.

Stephen Gallacher, the Road to Cambodia leader, posted a bogey-free 68 to reach 9-under alongside 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie, Emanuele Canonica and Adilson da Silva. Da Silva birdied his final three holes for a 7-under 66.

Five shots separate the leading nine players.

“If the conditions stay calm, you’re going to need to go low again because the field is so strong,” said Phillips. “I’d say 5-under minimum tomorrow. The game plan is just to keep playing solid golf, one shot at a time.”

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