Shaun Norris surged to the top of the leaderboard after his marvellous albatross helped him match the course record during the third round of the 2026 Nexo Championship.
The South African carded the lowest round of the week at the testing Trump International Golf Links on Saturday, signing for a bogey and four birdies alongside his remarkable achievement at the par-five fourth in his six-under 66.
He had 267 yards left as he approached his second shot at the fourth with a 3-wood and urged his ball to “go” as it found the green and rolled into the cup.
Norris seemed in disbelief as Matthew Southgate came over to congratulate his playing partner and the 44-year-old did not look back from there.
At nine under, Norris is two clear of Matthew Jordan, who overcame a slow start to card five birdies in his 67 for solo second.
“I’m very pleased with the way I played, I hit the ball nicely today and gave myself good chances,” Norris said. “A bit of fortune with an albatross on four, so pretty pleased with it.
“He’s (Kyle Norris, caddie) not been important just over the last couple of days, but over the last 10-12 years. We have a good bond.
“He knows my game better than anybody else. I think we are in a good position, go out there tomorrow, have some fun and try give myself some chances of birdies and see what happens.”
Norris revealed it was his fifth albatross of his career, adding: “It’s just one of those holes, you’ve got to place yourself in the fairway and give yourself a chance of going for the green.
“I was sort of borderline with a 3-wood there and my brother just gave me a number and he said ‘trust it and go for it’, and I couldn’t have hit it any better.
“And once it pitched on the green, he’s like ‘go in’ and I’m like ‘nah, whatever’ and the next minute it goes in, so I’m happy.”
Southgate held the halfway lead at four under and he and Norris, one shot behind, opened up with a birdie.
Scott Jamieson and Martin Couvra both birdied the first and fourth, with the latter also adding gains at the seventh and eighth, to join Southgate for a tie for the lead at five under.
However, Norris jumped ahead with his magical feat – the 124th albatross on the DP World Tour since 1999 – and he produced more brilliance at the short par-four seventh.
Norris found the heart of the green with his tee-shot and although he missed his eagle putt, he tapped in for birdie to stretch his lead to three strokes at eight under.
He picked up another shot at 14th and increased his advantage to four, but he bogeyed the next and when Jordan birdied the penultimate hole, Norris’ lead was halved.
Jordan, who had bogeyed the opening hole before battling back with birdies at the fourth, ninth and 11th, closed with his fifth gain of the day to set the clubhouse target of seven under.
That left Norris only one ahead, but only for a matter of minutes as he birdied the 17th to return nine under.
A birdie at the last would have broken the course record at the Old Course, but the two-time DP World Tour winner had to settle for a closing par to earn a two-shot lead.
Englishman Jordan sat one clear of Jamieson, who mixed four birdies and a dropped shot to sit at six under.
Southgate remained in contention following his level-par 70 as he sat alongside Japan’s Keita Nakajima at four under, while Australian Connor McKinney, England’s Andy Sullivan and Zimbabwean Bejamin Follett-Smith are one shot further back.
Article Link: Albatross helps Norris move two ahead