- Playing well on a difficult course gave me the ultimate proof that I played really well today.
But there are two rounds left and this course will not give me anything for free, says 23-year-old Hovland who can win for the second time in the last three tournaments according to Reuters.
Norén had eight under par with him yesterday - but there was no repetition of the fine game.
Five bogeys and just three birdies resulted in two over par and a fall in ten places.
Norén in the bunker on the first hole
Already on the first hole, Norén ended up in the bunker and got a bogey, which was followed by another bogey on the second hole.
Then Norén came again with three birdies on holes three, four and six, but when the second half of the round began with three more bogeys, Norén's chances at a top position for the day were crushed.
He is facing the competition's last two rounds of a total of six under par, three strokes behind today's rocket - the Norwegian Viktor Hovland, who climbed 47 places and took the lead, after a round of 65 strokes, seven under par.
In total, Hovland is nine under par and is chased by eight players, all of whom are one stroke behind, including the Spaniard Jon Rahm, who climbed 30 places during the round.
Things also went better for the competition's other Swede, Henrik Norlander, who after a failed start to the competition climbed as many as 67 places, to a shared 40th place, thanks to a round of 69 strokes, three under par.
Thus, he barely passed the qualifying limit and can continue to play this weekend.