12 Oct 2008

Schwartzel holds off Gonzalez in Madrid

8:33 am on 12 October 2008

New Zealand golfer Steve Alker's in a share of 24th after three rounds of the Madrid Masters tournament in Spain.

Alker's par 71 left him three under overall, 11 shots off the leader, the South African Charl Schwartzel, who holed a 10-foot birdie putt at the last hole to edge a stroke in front of the Argentine Ricardo Gonzalez.

Both have won in the Spanish capital before and Schwartzel again showed his liking for the Club de Campo Villa Madrid course as a five-under 66 earned a 14-under total of 199.

Gonzalez's 62 was the joint best round of the day.