Van Phillips carded a six-under-par 67 to move to 14-under-par and take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Champions UK plc European Senior Masters at La Manga Club.

The Englishman, who claimed his maiden Staysure Legends Tour title at the WINSTONgolf Senior Open in Germany in 2024, battled through a tougher second round, producing several crucial up-and-downs to maintain his advantage. Seven birdies, including consecutive birdies at the sixth and seventh, kept Phillips on course for a second Tour victory.

Chile’s Felipe Aguilar made a flying start, birdieing the second and third to take the early lead before adding four more birdies to reach the turn in six-under-par 31. The only Chilean to have won on the DP World Tour, with victories at the 2008 Indonesia Open and 2014 Championship at Laguna National, signed for a 67 to sit one shot behind Phillips on 13-under-par.

India’s Jeev Milkha Singh produced the round of the day, firing a bogey-free nine-under-par 64 to climb into third on 12-under-par. The four-time DP World Tour winner missed just one green in regulation and recorded nine birdies, including three across his closing four holes, to move firmly into contention.

Jean Hugo and Matthew Cort share fourth place on 11-under-par. Hugo, chasing his third Staysure Legends Tour title of the season following victories at the Reignwood Legends Championship and Portugal Legends Championship, carded a 69, while Cort signed for a 70 to continue his impressive run of form following top-ten finishes at the Reignwood Legends Championship, Sergio Melpignano Senior Italian Open and Portugal Legends Championship.

Road to Cambodia leader Stephen Gallacher posted a bogey-free 68 to join 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie, Emanuele Canonica and Adilson da Silva on nine-under-par. Da Silva produced a strong finish, birdieing his final three holes to sign for a seven-under-par 66.

With five shots separating the leading nine players, an exciting final round awaits at La Manga Club.

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Player Reactions

Van Phillips (-14)

“Very pleased. It was a bit tougher today. I just wasn’t quite as on it as I was yesterday, so I was proud of the way I ground it out and made some good up-and-downs.

“There were a couple of key up-and-downs straight off the bat. I made really good putts on ten and 11, which were my first two holes, and then a great chip on 12. They were real momentum shots. I birdied 13 and then it started to flow a little bit.

“I’ve been working on everything really, driving, putting, everything. It’s been a lot of hard work and it’s nice to see it pay off.

“I’ve always been a pretty good player tee to green. It’s just a case of whether I hole the putts or not, really. That would be a pretty typical round for me.

“If the conditions stay calm, you’re going to need to go low again because the field is so strong. I’d say five-under minimum tomorrow. The game plan is just to keep playing solid golf, one shot at a time.”

Felipe Aguilar (-13)

“I’m very pleased. Throughout the last two days I’ve played quite well. Obviously I hit a couple of bad shots and missed a couple of putts, but overall it’s been a really, really good week.

“I played very well on the front nine. I hit the ball close and didn’t miss too many putts. I think I only missed one. That’s what made the difference.

“I made two good five-footers for par on the front nine, which made a huge difference. Then on the 12th, I made an eight-footer for par and birdied the next. Those are key moments.

“Sometimes golf gives you something and sometimes it takes away. Yesterday I had a couple of good breaks, so it was taken away today. But I can’t complain. I’m in contention for tomorrow and that’s what you’re looking for.

Jeev Milkha Singh (-12)

“I played brilliantly. Yesterday also, I did, but didn’t hole as many putts as today. I holed a lot of putts today and hit the ball beautifully. I think I didn’t miss a single fairway, just one green. It was one of those days where everything fell into place.

“Everything was clicking. I said, hey, it’s going good, you might as well keep pushing. And I kept pushing, and it kept going my way.

“The greens are quite soft, so you’ve got to make sure you have good distance control because you’ve got to fly the ball to the hole or even past it. Most of the flags, where they’re tucked, you’ve got to be aggressive with it.

“It’s at sea level, and I feel the ball doesn’t fly as far as normal. You’ve got to adjust quite a bit with your distances. I normally hit my wedge 135, and I’m flying it around 129 to 130 here.

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