Argentine Gonzalez fires 65 to take clubhouse lead in Dubai

By Tony Jimenez

DUBAI (Reuters) - Three-times European Tour winner Ricardo Gonzalez produced one of the best rounds of his career on Sunday, a seven-under-par 65 giving him the clubhouse lead on the final day of the Dubai Desert Classic.

The 38-year-old, feeling relaxed in the company of fellow Argentine Ariel Canete, peppered the flagstick with his approach shots as eight birdies secured an eight-under-par total of 280.

"Today I think I played one of the best rounds of my life," Gonzalez told Reuters. "Sometimes you hit bad shots and you still make a good score but today I hit some very good shots so I am very happy.

"I think it should be good enough to give me a top-10 finish, which for me is very good."

The big-hitting Gonzalez, who has struggled on the European Tour since winning the 2004 Seville Open, made the best possible start to his final round at the Emirates Golf Club by wedging to 12 feet at the first hole and sinking his birdie putt.

He made further inroads on par when he left himself six feet from the pin at the fifth before holing a 25-foot birdie putt at the eighth.

"On the first three days I made a lot of mistakes on the front nine," said Gonzalez. "On the first day I was three over par, the second day I was one over and yesterday I was two over.

"Six over overall for the first nine holes is not so good so today I told myself to concentrate and it seemed to work. When I got to three under for the round I told myself, 'you can do it, you can shoot a good score'."