Golf: Open poised for final-day thriller

LYTHAM ST ANNES - Nineteen players were within two shots of the lead at the end of an enthralling third round of the British Open yesterday.

Germans Bernhard Langer and Alex Cejka, American David Duval and rejuvenated Briton Ian Woosnam were the unlikely quartet who emerged at the head of the pack on six-under 207 after a thrilling day of fluctuating fortunes at Lytham.

Overnight leader Colin Montgomerie was one of nine players a shot behind, but defending champion and world No 1 Tiger Woods was five off the pace after an error-strewn two-over 73.

New Zealand prospects waned with Michael Campbell posting an even-par 71 and David Smail a tired 76.

Oddly, Campbell actually picked up one stroke on the lead, closing to seven off the pace at 214, one-over for the tournament. Smail was on 219.

The leaderboard operators were the busiest people on the course as they frantically tried to keep up with the ever-changing situation.

Duval was the first to make a move after starting the day at level-par and ending it on six-under with a 65 that matched the best round of the tournament.

The world No 7 had adjusted his putter shortly before teeing off and reaped the benefit as he took only 25 putts en route to seven birdies and one bogey.

"I've got myself back into it and that's where I wanted to be," Duval said.

Woosnam also had his putter to thank as his long-handled version put him top of the tournament statistics on the greens and earned him three birdies and an eagle yesterday. He had only one bogey.

"I'm in love with golf again," he said, following comments this month that he was bored with the sport.

Another former Masters champion enjoying himself in his 24th Open was Langer, who was unsure he would even participate in the event four days ago because of a back injury.

"It feels great to be in contention in the tournament I've always wanted to win," said Langer, who shot a 67 to match his playing partner Woosnam.

Cejka, who came through qualifying, twice reached nine-under, but three successive bogeys over the closing holes dragged him back into the pack and he ended with his third straight 69.

Montgomerie had hit the front on the back of some good putting, but his touch deserted him as he twice missed from within four feet to drop shots and also watched two birdie putts lip-out on the front nine.

He finally collected back-to-back birdies on 10 and 11, but lost both shots with a double-bogey six two holes later and could make no further ground on the tough run-in to end with a two-over 73.

"To have a 73 and still be only one off the lead means I'm still in it," he said. "It's anybody's."

Montgomerie, who has won 28 tournaments but never a major, said losing the lead actually might help him.

"Okay, I'm not in the lead anymore, but it might be beneficial ... I might be able to relax."

Woods had a wretched day as his driving was again all over the place, and this time he did not get away with it.

He sank some long putts to bag three early birdies and reach five-under, but after a bogey on five it all went wrong on the seventh when he ended up in a bush and carded a double-bogey seven.

He then three-putted from 12 feet on the 14th and dropped another shot on the last after a wild drive cost him a penalty drop.

"It definitely wasn't my A-game, not even close to that," he said. "There are a lot of players between myself and the lead, and it's going to be quite a test tomorrow."

If Woods finishes out of the top 10, it will mark the first time he has done so in four successive tournaments since the end of the 1997 season.

At least his demeanour appears to be improving. During a tough opening round at the Western Open in Chicago, his last tournament before crossing the Atlantic, Woods hurled the occasional curse under his breath, flung clubs towards his bag after bad shots and even broke one in two after dumping an approach shot into a pond.

But there were no repeats here.

His playing partner, fellow American Mark O'Meara, who finished a shot ahead of the champion, said: "I felt bad for Tiger. He's not where he'd like to have it."

Asked whether the two talked during the round, he grinned.

"A little bit. There wasn't that much because he was hitting some wayward shots out there - for him."

Several other notable players were within striking distance ahead of the final round.

Spain's Miguel Jimenez, Sweden's Jesper Parnevik, Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke and former Open champion Nick Price, of Zimbabwe, finished on five-under, while Spaniard Sergio Garcia and South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, last month's US Open winner, were in the group at four-under.

New Zealanders Bob Charles and Greg Turner failed to make the cut.

Campbell, the world No 15, had chances, most of them realistic, to pick up a birdie at each of the last 12 holes, but was able to slot just two.

Smail, 31, had three birdies, but his eight bogeys were more than his total over the opening 36 holes.

"I hit some good shots and they didn't quite work," he said. "It gets you down a little bit.

"Every shot is so demanding, it got to me today."

Smail, contesting his first major, spent more time in bunkers than a Londoner during the blitz.

On the difficult back nine he was in the hay-paddock-length rough or a bunker at every hole, except the last.

- AGENCIES