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Duo tied after three rounds

4 min read

LUSS, Scotland (AP) – Maarten Lafeber slowed down after a hot start and had to settle for a 3-under 68 on Saturday, giving him a share of the lead with Tim Clark in a Scottish Open that is up for grabs. More glorious weather at Loch Lomond allowed for another day of low scores, and seven players had a share of the lead at some point in the third round. Only two players remained there at the end, although the final round figures to be a wild scramble for the trophy.

Clark also started strong and added three birdies on the tougher back nine for a 6-under 65, putting him atop the leaderboard with Lafeber at 15-under 198.

Alastair Forsythe, trying to join Colin Montgomerie as the only Scots to win their national open since it began in 1986, recovered from a few bad swings with a 9-iron into 10 feet for birdie on the 15th and a 25-foot birdie on the last for a 67, leaving him only one shot behind with Angel Cabrera (68).

Adam Scott posted the best round of a calm, sunny day along the bonnie banks with a 7-under 64 that left him in the group at 201 that included Darren Clarke (69) and Thongchai Jaidee (66).

In all, 15 players were within five shots of the lead going into the final round.

Lafeber made it all possible, at first threatening to run away from the field, then stalling over the final 14 holes to let everyone back into the tournament.

“That was the goal, to be in the lead after three rounds,” Lafeber said. “That’s what I did, and it’s very satisfying. But it’s a lot of strong players behind me, so I have to play really well tomorrow.”

Montgomerie had a 66 and was at 10-under 203, but said he had no chance. At the time, Lafeber was still on the front nine, and Monty figured he would be at least eight or nine shots behind at the end of the day.

“You shoot 66 and think you’re moving up, and you don’t,” Montgomerie said. “I don’t have a chance now. I’ve just got to score as low as I can and try to get as many world (ranking) points as I can.”

Ernie Els pulled his tee shot into the water on the 18th for a double bogey, wrecking a good round. He shot 67 and joined Montgomerie in the group at 203, although the Big Easy was running hot when he walked off the course.

“I missed a lot of putts, and eventually it got me,” he said.

Els played with Ian Poulter, who also was disgusted with his 67 – although delighted with weather that is almost too good to be in Scotland.

“I’m not happy with 10 under par,” he said. “It’s not good enough.”

Now, it seems anything is possible.

Luke Donald made six birdies in his round of 67 to join Miguel Angel Jimenez (66) and Nick Dougherty (67) in the group at 202, just four shots behind.

It all starts with Lafeber and Clark, who know they can’t afford to hover around par.

Lafeber was thrilled with his start, hitting 4-iron into the third green for eagle and hitting 8-iron into about 12 feet on the fourth for birdie to widen his lead. But everything changed with a bogey on the par-3 eighth, and a failed attempt to drive the green on the 311-yard ninth, leaving him such an awkward lie that he couldn’t get close to the pin.

“The bogey at No. 8 killed my momentum,” Lafeber said. “That’s where my round just slowed down. From there, I was just trying to hit greens.”

He at least is still atop the leaderboard, and he has a four-shot lead in the race to win a spot in the British Open available to the low finisher. Dougherty also is trying to get to St. Andrews.

Scott’s round stalled when he tried to drive the 345-yard 14th and went into the hazard, taking bogey. He still managed eight birdies, although he finished his round believing it might not be good enough to contend.

“I had to shoot this at least to have a chance,” Scott said. “It’s perfect conditions. I’ll be surprised if someone doesn’t get to 20 under today.”

Someone still might get to 20 under – the 72-hole record at Loch Lomond is 19-under 275 by Tom Lehman in 1997 – and it could be anybody. A year ago, Thomas Levet came from seven shots behind with a 63 to win.

The two Americans in the field were never a factor.

Lehman bogeyed his second hole and only picked up birdies on two of the par 5s for a 71, leaving him eight shots behind. Former Masters champion Phil Mickelson also had a 71 and was 12 shots out of the lead.

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