KEY POINTS:
English golfer Graeme Storm stood firm while most around him fell as he came from nowhere to steal a share of the third-round lead in the New Zealand Open at Gulf Harbour today.
Counting his blessings for an early appointment on the first tee, Storm showed his appreciation for the benign morning conditions to shoot a six-under-par 65 which propelled him into the top 10 from his overnight 50th equal.
Southerly winds were just starting to build as Storm left the course and hours later he found himself in possession of the lead on five-under 208 when the field spread as the coastal winds built to boisterous levels.
He was later joined on that number by Australia's Kim Felton and Marcus Fraser, who carded 68 and 70 respectively, in the $1.5 million co-sanctioned event.
They held a lead of one stroke over a group of four, containing Spain's Carl Suneson, who managed 69, New Zealand world No 22 Michael Campbell, 73, and experienced Australian pair Peter Senior, 71, and Peter O'Malley, 66.
That quartet was trailed by five players on 210, including Australians Greg Chalmers, Kurt Barnes and Brett Rumford, plus Irishman Damien McGrane and Argentina's Daniel Vancsik.
Nineteen players are within seven shots of the leaders following a round in which just 16 of the 67 competitors managed red figures.
The conditions proved themselves too rowdy for any number of players jockeying for position near the top of the leaderboard, with overnight leaders Wade Ormsby, of Australia, and Englishman Nick Dougherty among the many to struggle to maintain their dignity.
Ormsby slipped back to a tie for 13th on 211 after a five-over 76, while Dougherty tumbled out of contention, a triple bogey eight on the second setting the scene for his round of 79.
Campbell, the 2005 US Open champion, said considering the conditions "I am quite satisfied with shooting two-over".
"You really had to bring your A game today," said Campbell, who added that severe wind gusts made putting a particularly tricky proposition.
Fraser, one of the few to hold his game together in the afternoon, considered the winds had lifted in intensity by 10 to 20 knots compared to the earlier rounds.
Storm, for one, was delighted to be in the clubhouse before the conditions began dictating play.
"It was a massive advantage to get out early," said the 28-year-old, who is searching for a maiden win on the European Tour.
His round included an eagle three at the second when he hit a four iron flush to within 15 feet before converting the putt and soon after strung together three successive birdie threes from the fifth hole to really get a move on.
Storm later revealed he was happy simply to be playing the championship after he suffered a shoulder injury in Singapore last month.
He has been getting daily physiotherapy treatment for more than a week and declared himself fully fit for the final round.
Fraser looked poised to grab sole ownership of the lead before a bogey five on the 18th hole knocked him into a three-way battle atop the leaderboard.
He said he deserved that number on the last after a "crappy" approach but in the overall scheme of things he was happy with how he controlled his ball flight in conditions that demanded precisely that.
Unaware of the problems being experienced by others, Fraser said he was stunned on the 12th hole when he looked at a leaderboard and found his name on top.
Both the wind and some pin positions caused today's difficulties, he suggested.
"The wind feels 10 to 20 knots stronger while there are a number of stupid pin positions."
He identified the par-three 15th as an example.
"With the pin so close to the front there is not much room to hit it, with the wind so flukey."
Fraser, 28, has his gaze focused on tomorrow's closing round when he will attempt to add the Open crown to the New Zealand amateur championship title he won in 2001 at Middlemore in Auckland.
- NZPA
