Duo battle to one-shot lead

Sandelin: not won for six years

It was tough, the wind was pumping out there.

Lee Westwood
Quotes of the week

Dunhill Links Championship
Third round leaders
GB&Ire unless stated
-6 M Kaymer (Ger)
-6 J Sandelin (Swe)
-5 M Carlsson (Swe)
-4 M Brier (Aut)
-4 T Jaidee (Tha)
-4 P Harrington

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German Martin Kaymer and Swede Jarmo Sandelin will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Dunhill Links Championship, after the weather on the Fife coast once again played havoc with scoring on day three.

On Friday just three players broke 70 but a wind-swept Saturday proved even more treacherous, with only six of a field of 166 professionals breaking the par of 72 on all three courses.

The leading duo are a shot clear of Swede Magnus Carlsson, who birdied his final hole at Carnoustie (the ninth) for a 73.

Sandelin's level par 72 at Carnoustie was matched by Thongchai Jaidee - one of a group of three players two off the pace - although the Thai will feel disappointed after dropping two shots in his last three holes.

Kaymer shot a 73 - also at Carnoustie - although he got it to eight-under at one stage before dropping shots at 15 and 16.

The other men locked on four-under are halfway leader Markus Brier (76) and Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who had a 74, also at Carnoustie.

First-round leader Ross Fisher was also on four-under on the 18th tee at Carnoustie, but like so many before him on this famous old links, he pulled his tee shot into the stream parallel to the fairway and did well to get away with a bogey five.

That meant the Englishman joined four players in a group on three-under, including England's John Bickerton, whose 70 at St Andrews was the best round of the day.

Struggling

Kaymer has won twice already this season and is currently 10th on the Order of Merit, while Sandelin - without a win in six years - has been struggling all season.

He is ranked 125th and needs to climb into the top 115 to keep his card, although the way he rolled in an eight-foot par putt on the last at Carnoustie suggests he is rapidly regaining his confidence.

Returning to the Carnoustie course where he won the first of his back-to-back Open titles, Harrington played the front nine in 40 but came home in a superb 34.

Lee Westwood bounced back from an even worse front nine, dropping six shots in his first six holes to be out in 41, before coming back in 35 to rescue his hopes of ending the year as European number one.

Harrington currently heads the Order of Merit by £180,000 from Westwood. Sweden's Robert Karlsson is third in the standings, another £100,000 behind Westwood, but with a first prize of £432,000 on Sunday, the race remains wide open. Karlsson is sandwiched between Harrington and Westwood in that group on three-under, after a 76.

Tough

Westwood, who last won the Order of Merit title in 2000, said: "It was tough, the wind was pumping out there.

"I was six over after six and struggling really. The course was playing tough at the start and you didn't have to do a lot wrong really.

"I dug in though and was three under for the next six holes. Missing from six or seven feet for birdie on eight was the turning point as it was the first green I hit in regulation.

"I three-putted 16, which was a shame, but I parred the last two holes, which you can never complain about here. All in all, two under might be in with a chance."