Irish Open: Steve Palmer's third-round analysis and final-round advice

Sky Sports Golf, noon Sunday

Story so far
Robert Rock closed round three of the Irish Open with six consecutive birdies to complete a spectacular third-round 60 and claim the lead heading into Sunday at Lahinch Golf Club.

Rock, available at 150-1 ante-post, is a general 9-2 with 18 holes remaining in County Clare. The 42-year-old is a two-time European Tour champion, but the last of those successes came in the 2012 Abu Dhabi Championship, so he is bidding to end a victory drought of more than seven years.

Rock's fellow Englishman, Eddie Pepperell, is tied for second place, a shot off the pace, with Rafael Cabrera-Bello. Pepperell and Cabrera-Bello are co-favourites at 3-1. Pre-tournament market leader, Jon Rahm, is in a share of ninth place.

Leaderboard
-13 Robert Rock
-12 Eddie Pepperell, Rafael Cabrera-Bello
-11 Zander Lombard
-10 Andy Sullivan, Bernd Wiesberger
-9 Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Cormac Sharvin
-8 Jorge Campillo, Oliver Wilson, Paul Waring, Grant Forrest, Jon Rahm

Best prices
3 E Pepperell, R Cabrera-Bello, 9-2 R Rock, 12 B Wiesberger, A Sullivan, 14 Z Lombard, 16 J Rahm, 45 J Campillo, C Sharvin, 66 P Waring, O Wilson, 80 G Forrest, T Olesen, 175 bar

Final-round advice
Eddie Pepperell adores links golf and is busy bolstering his fantastic links record this week, despite the fact that he has been sidelined since the middle of May with back problems.

Pepperell has got his body in working order for a crack at the Irish Open title and three closing round-three birdies have put the Oxford man in the thick of things.

Robert Rock is winless for seven years, but Pepperell won twice last year, so bookmakers are probably right to make the younger man the more likely of the English duo to lift the silverware.

Rafael Cabrera-Bello, third in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and third in the BMW International Open last week, has putted better than he normally does over the first three rounds at Lahinch to perch himself alongside Pepperell.

Cabrera-Bello, a three-time European Tour champion at the age of 35, has never been the strongest of finishers and may not carry such a sizzling putter in round four. In fact, there is scope that all of the front three tread enough water to be overtaken by the chasing pack.

A cloudy, calm afternoon is forecast for the denouement, and the front three will all need to hole plenty of putts to retain their lofty perches. None of them have been consistent putters throughout their careers.

Paul Waring (125-1) and Grant Forrest (400-1) are Racing Post Sport ante-post hopes sharing ninth place, but from five shots behind, they need serious fireworks to claim the title. Bernd Wiesberger is two shots closer to the lead and the in-form Austrian may be a sensible option at 12-1 with at least three each-way places still on offer.

Wiesberger has not holed his fair share this week – his presence on the leaderboard is due to supreme ball-striking. The five-time Tour champion has been impressive over the last four months, winning the Made In Denmark, and further glory is well within his reach from just three behind Rock.

Wiesberger and Andy Sullivan could both go low from the 12.35pm twoball. The final twoball of Rock and Cabrera-Bello is due on the tee at 12.55pm.

Recommendation
B Wiesberger
1pt each-way 12-1 BoyleSports, Coral, Ladbrokes

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