Kipp Popert is on track to defend his title in the Gross event at the G4D Tour Series Finale, while Daniel Slabbert moved into position to claim his second Net victory of the season ahead of Saturday’s final round in Mallorca.
Despite carding a three-over-par 75 to follow up his opening 69, Popert increased his overnight six shot lead to seven on a day when the wind picked up at Golf Club Alcanada.
The top-ranked disability golfer, who has cerebral palsy, is closing in on a 16th title as both an individual and team member on the G4D Tour since its inception in 2022.
After missing the majority of the first half of the year due to foot surgery, Popert admits the prospect of adding to his wins in Ireland and England earlier this season in September is beyond his expectations.
"To have had the year I have had so far is a bit of a dream, but I am working extremely hard," he said.
"My foot is in a good place. I want to be the best golfer I can be, and I want to achieve what many people think is unachievable.
"For anyone who saw me at the start of the year, I don’t think they would have expected this and if I am honest it is the first time in my life that I didn’t.
"It would be an honour to win tomorrow, especially with the start of the year I had."
The season-ending event - previously staged in Dubai but now held in conjunction with the HotelPlanner Tour’s Rolex Grand Final - features ten of the world’s leading golfers with a disability, with six contesting the Gross competition and four in the Net equivalent.
Slabbert held a share of the overnight co-lead alongside military veteran Mark Clougherty – a fellow first-time winner in the Net competition on the G4D Tour this season – but took control as a 75 saw the South African move four shots clear of the Irishman.
A left leg amputee, Slabbert won on his G4D Tour debut at The Belfry in August and enjoyed a fast start on Friday with two birdies in his opening three holes.
Looking ahead to the chance to claim another piece of silverware in his first season on the G4D Tour, he said: “It’s a case of trying to do the same as the opening two days, try to get birdies but make sure I make no mistakes.
"You have to hit the ball in the correct places, the greens are tricky so even if you hit it on the wrong side of the greens it is easy to three putt or putt it off the green.
"Tomorrow’s approach will be to try and get my driver [performing] a bit better, getting a couple of shots closer to the hole and holing more putts."
Daphne van Houten, a two-time winner of the G4D Open, is the only female player across both events and the Dutch player is in fourth place, four shots adrift of Brendan Lawlor and Lachlan Wood.
All ten players competing this week are either winners of G4D Tour events this season or have earned their place in the field through their world ranking.
The winners of the two competitions will earn their place into the field for next year’s G4D Open, which will take place at Celtic Manor.
