Quiros enjoys early start

Spaniard clear at the top of the leaderboard after birdie at 17th

Last updated: 19th October 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Quiros enjoys early start

Karlsson: Right behind leader

Third round leaderboard:
(GB & Ire unless stated)
A Quiros (Spn) -15
R Fisher -14
R Karlsson (Swe) -14
S Hansen (Den) -13

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Robert Karlsson let slip a share of the lead at the Portugal Masters after finally completing his third round on Sunday morning.

The in-form Swede had moved to 14-under-par alongside Ross Fisher and Alvaro Quiros before a thunderstorm brought a premature finish to play in Vilamoura on Saturday.

All three players were back out early to finish off and while his rivals could only manage to par their final two holes, Quiros seized his chance.

The big-hitting Spaniard birdied the 15th to get his nose in front, then lost it with a bogey at the 16th, only to go back ahead at the 17th. He closed out with a par four to sign for a 67.

Slender lead

His efforts mean he will start in the afternoon out on his own on 15-under but with Karlsson, who found rough at the 18th but produced a sensational chip to make par, and Englishman Fisher breathing down his neck.

Soren Hansen sits in fourth on his own at 13-under following a second successive 65 at the Oceanico Victoria course, while South African James Kingston is a shot further back after a stunning 64.

Defending champion Steve Webster moved into contention on 11-under as he posted a 66 while overnight leader Stuart Manley is a further shot back.

Manley's bid for victory suffered a major setback at the seventh as he recorded a triple-bogey seven, although the Welshman went on to drag himself back to level-par for his round with five holes to play by the time a halt was called to proceedings.

However, Karlsson is the man everyone will be watching having climbed to the summit of the leaderboard by virtue of a flawless display on Saturday.

Starting the day three shots off the pace, the 38-year-old racked up six birdies and not a single dropped shot as he demonstrated the consistency that is the reason why he's chasing a third successive victory on the European Tour.

Flawless Fisher

His exploits were bettered by Fisher who returned seven birdies and no bogeys in his opening 16 holes. However, he missed a 12ft birdie putt at the 18th that would have seen him in a share for top spot.

Despite the miss the Englishman, seventh on the moneylist, retains a mathematical chance of catching Karlsson in the Order of Merit race

Lee Westwood's hopes of reeling in the Swede took a nosedive as he could only manage a level-par 72 that leaves him some nine strokes behind the leaders.

Karlsson cannot clinch the money-list race before the Volvo Masters in two weeks' time, but winning again would leave him within touching distance of the Vardon Trophy - and would also make him the first player since Tiger Woods two years ago to claim three titles in a row on the circuit.