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Westwood takes lead with albatross
ST ANDREWS, Scotland (Reuters) -- Lee Westwood carded a stunning albatross to complete a course record 62 at Kingsbarns and lead the Dunhill Links Championship by a shot after three rounds on Saturday. In-form Darren Clarke, Westwood's fellow Briton, and Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin finished at 15-under 201, with New Zealand's Michael Campbell a shot further back. Westwood, who won his first event in three years last month, holed his 219-yard four-iron approach to the par-five ninth at Kingsbarns. The former European number one also made seven birdies to move to 16 under par and in pole position to claim the $800,000 first prize. World number two Ernie Els looked poised to match Westwood's score, but the South African dropped three strokes over his final two holes to slip to a 67 and a share of seventh place at 12 under par. "As soon as I'd hit it, I knew it was a great strike," Westwood told reporters. "I've never had an albatross before so I'm delighted. I thought I might go through my career without one." The Englishman, who completed his third successive round without a bogey to break the course record by three shots, said he was just trying to enjoy his return to form. "Things are going very well for me at the moment," he said. "But you make your own luck and you've just got to try and make the best of it. I will go into the final round feeling very positive." Consistent formClarke, who won last month's WGC-NEC Invitational in Ohio, continued his consistent run, gathering an eagle and six birdies in a 66 to finish a shot behind his Ryder Cup team mate and level with Jacquelin, who carded a third-round 64 at Carnoustie. Campbell fired a 66 to come in a shot ahead of South African Richard Sterne and Briton Simon Yates, with Norwegian Henrik Bjornstad, Dutchman Maarten Lafeber, Britons Paul Lawrie and David Howell and Swedes Fredrik Jacobson and Henrik Stenson a further stroke back. Els also finished at 12 under, rattling off eight birdies before his bogey, double bogey finish. "I thought I had a good shot on the 18th, but I must have chosen the wrong club and I came up short," the three-times major champion told reporters. "I have got to go and cool off a little bit and get set for tomorrow. Obviously I would have loved to have finished better but I have still got an outside chance." Fiji's Vijay Singh, the world number three, birdied his first four holes before losing momentum, and had to settle for a 69 to finish seven adrift of Westwood at nine-under 207. Defending champion Padraig Harrington made a solid 68 to end at eight under and Colin Montgomerie, seven-times European number one, produced his best round of the week, a 65, to finish on four under. Westwood's albatross was the second of the day, emulating the feat of Steen Tinning, also at Kingsbarns. The Dane holed a four-iron from 212 yards at the par-five third hole, only the fourth albatross on the European Tour this year. Sunday's final round sees the leading 60 and ties playing the home of golf St Andrews. Copyright 2003 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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