Steve Palmer's Ras al Khaimah Championship final-round preview, best bets

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 8.30am Sunday

Best bets

Johannes Veerman without Nicolai Hojgaard
1pt each-way 12-1 BoyleSports

Robert MacIntyre top Scot
1pt 21-10 Betfair, Power

Story so far

Nicolai Hojgaard will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Ras al Khaimah Championship after signing off on Saturday afternoon with three consecutive birdies.

The 20-year-old Dane birdied five of his last six holes to stretch clear of the field at Al Hamra Golf Club. Hojgaard missed his first two cuts of the year, meaning he went off a 35-1 for Ras al Khaimah, but this great talent has hit his stride third time out.

Hojgaard is 20 under par, with David Law alone in second place, and hotshot Hojgaard is no bigger than 2-5 with 18 holes to play. Law is easy to back at 13-2.

Pre-tournament favourite Bernd Wiesberger missed the cut by three shots. Jordan Smith, the 2016 champion at Ras al Khaimah on the Challenge Tour, is tied for fifth place. Smith, Thomas Detry, Robert MacIntyre and Johannes Veerman are six shots behind Hojgaard.

Leaderboard
-20 Nicolai Hojgaard
-17 David Law
-16 Tapio Pulkkanen
-15 Oliver Bekker
-14 Thomas Detry, Jordan Smith, Robert MacIntyre, Johannes Veerman

Best prices
2-5 N Hojgaard, 13-2 D Law, 14 T Pulkkanen, 28 R MacIntyre, J Smith, O Bekker, 30 T Detry, 33 J Veerman, 200 bar

Final-round preview

With nobody in the field at 13 under par, and a two-shot gap between fifth place and ninth, the Ras al Khaimah Championship has the feel of an eight-runner affair with 18 holes to play.

If Nicolai Hojgaard wobbles in front, this could turn into an ultra-competitive and thrilling finish, with some quality operators lurking just off the pace. It is a big if, though, given how well Hojgaard performed in round three.

The hope for the chasing pack is the fact that the leader is only 20 years of age and has won only the Italian Open. That was a victory from the front though - a one-shot lead last September with 18 holes to play and Tommy Fleetwood on his shoulder - so Hojgaard has proven he can handle pole position.

Hojgaard is an explosive talent who set the tone for a sizzling Saturday by driving the green at the 344-yard par-four first hole and two-putting for birdie. His power has allowed him to destroy an open layout with four par-fives the swashbuckling starlet will fancy his chances of kicking on into the mid-20s under par.

That said, there is a little more breeze in the forecast for Sunday - a consistent 15 mph while Hojgaard is in action - so there is potential for a close tournament if he shows any mental weakness combined with a few loose drives.

David Law probably lacks the gears to live with Hojgaard, while Tapio Pulkkanen blew a golden chance of a maiden victory in the Czech Masters last August - and has been generally poor since.

Perhaps the biggest challenge to Hojgaard, then, will come from one of the quartet at 14 under par. Obviously a six-shot Sunday deficit will not be easy to overcome, but the twoballs of Thomas Detry and Jordan Smith, and Johannes Veerman and Robert MacIntyre, could be full of fireworks.

Detry is one of the best maidens on the circuit, while Smith won on the Challenge Tour at Al Hamra in 2016. Coming from behind is ideal for both men - they can get jittery with the lead - so there seems every chance of somebody in the 8.15am twoball setting a clubhouse lead.

Veerman and MacIntyre, who both have one European Tour title in their locker, are a pair of lively, improving 20-somethings. They both carded a 66 alongside each other in round three and can tee up again in a menacing 12.25pm twoball on Sunday.

Punters should consider the 21-10 about MacIntyre ending up as top Scot. For once, the much-touted left-hander seems to be on offer at a value price, with only three shots to make up on Law, who was unimpressive over the closing holes of round three, covering the final seven in one over par and signing off with a bogey.

MacIntyre was bogey-free in round three and can finish strongly, although Veerman is the value in the outright and without Hojgaard markets. Veerman has been made the outsider of the quartet at 14 under par - but the American is as good as any of them. The 12-1 available about Veerman in the without Hojgaard market with BoyleSports is particularly attractive.

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