Golf: Tyrrell Hatton leads PGA Championship ahead of final round

Hatton reacts after finishing his round on the 18th green on Day 3 of the PGA Championship. PHOTO: AFP

LONDON (AFP) - England's Tyrrell Hatton takes a three-shot lead into the final round of the PGA Championship after a dominant display on Saturday (Oct 10).

Hatton shot 69 in the third round and that was enough to move him ahead of Denmark's JB Hansen and France's Victor Perez at Wentworth.

British Open champion Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Reed and David Horsey are four strokes behind the leader.

Lowry had shared the halfway lead with Matt Fitzpatrick, but the final group were a combined six over par.

Hatton grew up not far from Wentworth and often came to one of the European Tour's flagship events as a spectator, while he went into the final round in 2016 a shot off the lead before finishing seventh.

"It's been a goal of mine to hopefully win this tournament so it would be very special," Hatton said.

"There's still 18 holes to go tomorrow, I just have to try to not get too far ahead of myself, take confidence from the fact I've won on Tour, go out there and control myself, play well like I have the last three days and see what happens."

Hatton is in pole position for a fifth European Tour title and second victory of the season following his victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.

The 28-year-old's decision to play wearing a hoodie has also been a major talking point in a sport known for its conservatism.

"People are split. They don't know if they like it or not," Hatton said.

"Anyway, I think it's a cool thing that people are talking about it, we should be open to the idea of creating a more open kind of sport rather than it to be kind of snobby. I think you need to move on from that."

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