Hojgaard, Hoshino and Coussard tied for lead after third round of Qatar Masters

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Rasmus Hojgaard, Rikuya Hoshino and Ugo Coussard were tied for the lead after the third round of the Qatar Masters on Saturday, with the top eight on the leaderboard separated by just two shots.

Hojgaard — at No. 68, the highest-ranked player in the field — and Coussard both shot 5-under 67s to move to 10-under par overall. Hoshino, who was playing in the last group, joined them by making birdie at No. 17 and parring the last for a 69.

The three leaders were a shot ahead of Niklas Norgaard (69), Tom McKibbin (68) and Ewen Ferguson (66).

Of those six players, Hojgaard is the only one in the top 100 of the world rankings. The Dane is chasing a fifth title on the European tour and a first since the Made in Himmerland event on home soil in July.

English pair Sam Bairstow (69) and Paul Waring (68) were two shots back.

Australian golfer Haydn Barron, who led by two strokes after the second round, shot 74 and was on 7 under — three off the lead.

The Qatar Masters is the fifth straight European tour event in the Middle East.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf