The International Series England, part of the prestigious Asian Tour, is unfolding with gripping intensity at Surrey’s Foxhills Club & Resort. As players navigate the challenging Longcross course, the stakes are high with a total purse of USD $2 million.
Peter Uihlein, a seasoned professional with a career spanning thirteen years, leads the pack heading into the final round. Uihlein carded a two-under-par 69 in the third round, bringing his total to a commendable twelve-under. His performance was marked by moments of brilliance, notably his birdie chip-in on the par-five 18th hole, accompanied by five birdies, including an impressive streak of three consecutive birdies starting from the eighth hole. However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for Uihlein, who also recorded a double bogey and an additional bogey.
Reflecting on his round, Uihlein remarked, “It was a bit up and down today.” He continued, “Yeah, a win would be nice. You know, it’s not been my best year since joining LIV, so it’s nice to kind of build some momentum with our final events coming up. And then I’m going to play a few more on The International Series after that, so it will put me in a good position which is nice.”
Hot on Uihlein’s heels is Harold Varner III, who sits in second place at eleven-under after shooting a spectacular six-under-par 65, the lowest round of the day. Varner demonstrated remarkable consistency with a bogey-free round, maintaining only three bogeys for the entire week. “I shot six under par, so it was good,” Varner stated confidently. “There’s another day so just need to keep doing what I’m doing. I feel like I’m playing well. Just control that part of it,” he added. Despite feeling relatively stress-free, Varner acknowledges that the final round will bring its challenges. “Pretty stress-free right now, but it won’t be tomorrow.”
Tied for third place at ten-under are Richard Bland and Caleb Surratt. Bland carded a four-under-par 68, finishing strong with birdies on four of the last five holes. Despite his struggles, Bland remains candid about his performance issues. “If I am being completely honest, I am struggling with my golf swing,” he admitted. Reflecting on his strategy, Bland shared, “I need to find it. I find it on the range, but I am not taking it onto the golf course, certainly with the driver. The last four or five holes, I won’t say what I said to myself, which was basically just get up and hit it. Stop thinking about it. Hit it hard and it seemed to go in the right direction so I will use that philosophy tomorrow.”
Bland’s round was not without drama; following a poor tee shot on the 10th hole, he snapped his three wood in frustration. “I do need to find a new three wood. Just for four or five holes I was struggling. I have been trying to find a golf swing with a driver for about a month now. I can’t remember when I last broke a club through temper. I was frustrated and I bent the shaft, don’t know my own strength. I wasn’t trying to break it. I apologise to the fans for that.”
Meanwhile, Caleb Surratt was leading much of the day but faltered with double bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes, finishing with a two-under-par 69. Richard T. Lee is lurking at fifth place with a splendid five-under-par 66, totaling nine-under. Alongside him, a group, including Andy Sullivan and Sadom Kaewkanjana, is tied at eight-under, still in striking distance should the leaders slip.
Peter Uihlein’s potential victory holds significant weight, as a win on the Asian Tour would be a noteworthy addition to his career achievements, which include three prior professional wins.
As the final round approaches, the competition is set to become even fiercer. Each player will need to navigate both the physical and psychological demands of the game to clinch victory. For now, all eyes remain on the leaders to see who will triumph at the Foxhills Club & Resort this Sunday.
For tickets and more information about International Series England, please visit www.internationalseries.com.
