Tight at the top in Stockholm

Johnson: share of the lead

Third-round leaderboard:
(GB & Ire unless stated)
KJ Choi (Kor) -10
R Johnson (Swe) -10
L Oosthuizen (SA) -9
M Brown (Nzl) -7
R Echenique (Arg) -7

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KJ Choi and home favourite Richard Johnson are locked together at the top of the leaderboard after the third round of the Scandinavian Masters.

Having played together on Saturday, the duo will once again form the final pairing on Sunday after both finished the day on ten-under-par.

Open champion Louis Oosthuizen looked set to ensure a three-way tie for the lead, but a closing bogey meant the South African will start the final round one stroke back.

Oosthuizen was left to rue a couple of poor shots at the 18th, as he pulled his approach into a bunker from the middle of the fairway and then clumsily splashed out to 18 feet before missing his par putt.

New Zealand's Mark Brown surged into a share of fourth on seven-under after a splendid 67 in the windy and wet conditions in Stockholm, level with Argentine Rafa Echenique (72).

In-form Italian Edoardo Molinari is a shot further adrift on six-under following a battling 71 that included four bogeys but five birdies.

Johnson and Oosthuizen both signed for two-under 70s, while overnight leader Choi produced a 71 after experiencing what he called "all four seasons in one day."

At one point Choi, who is bidding to secure only his second European Tour triumph, removed his socks and shoes as he played from the lake on the 13th having found water.

It proved a worthwhile sacrifice as he salvaged his par to keep himself ahead, but he was then reeled in when Johnson and Oosthuizen birdied the 622-yard 15th and he missed from five feet.

The Korean then missed another great birdie chance after a superb tee-shot to the par-three 17th, but a solid two-putt from distance at the last kept him at the head of the field with Johnson.

Disappointing

Oosthuizen could not finish in such positive fashion and said after his closing five: "It was a bit disappointing.

"I made two thinking errors on the course and it cost me two bogeys."

The first led to a three-putt six on the long ninth. He also drove into the water at the 13th, but after taking a penalty drop he hit his third to 15 feet and made the putt for one of four birdies.

"I was a bit gutted after the ninth and on the last it was a stupid second to that pin.

"I've got my goals set on winning again, though, and it will be right up there to me - a great achievement after winning last week."

Johnson, like Choi, has one European title to his name, but that was eight years ago in Australia.

The 33-year-old normally plies his trade on the American PGA Tour, but admitted he was delighted to have made the decision to return to his homeland this week.

"I decided to play here about three weeks ago," he said. "I heard Canada was such a great course, but it kind of worked out to come here.

"It's very exciting because the crowd is really behind me. I was not nervous at all and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow.

"The wind was blowing really, really hard and I was not driving it great. I had to rely on my short game and it came through again."