Scandinavian Mixed: Dale Whitnell takes four-shot lead over Yannik Paul into final round in Sweden

Dale Whitnell moved a step closer to a maiden DP World Tour title despite seeing his lead reduced to four shots heading into the final round of the Scandinavian Mixed.

The 34-year-old followed a sensational second-round 61 with a two-under 70 on Saturday at Ullna Golf and Country Club, where he fired seven birdies but also registered a bogey and two double-bogeys.

Whitnell sits on 19 under and four clear of Ryder Cup hopeful Yannik Paul, who carded a second successive 68, with Scotland's Richie Ramsay six strokes off the pace in third spot ahead of Dutch star Anne Van Dam.

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"It is hard to go through a round of golf without dropping a shot, let alone two or three or four, so I sort of stuck to my guns, had a game plan and tried to execute it," Whitnell said. "I mean it wasn't a bad day, it wasn't exactly ideal, but it was more than acceptable."

Whitnell's overnight lead extended when Paul bogeyed the first, with the Englishman then cancelling out a bogey of his own at the par-three next to birdie three of his next four and jump eight clear.

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Paul eagled the par-five fourth and was six behind at the turn when Whitnell double-bogeyed the par-four ninth, only for his playing partner to start his back nine with a 12-foot birdie at the 10th.

Back-to-back birdies from Paul at the 12th kept the pressure on Whitnell, who made a tap-in birdie at the 15th but double-bogeyed the par-three next after finding water off the tee, with the leader then holing from 15 feet at the last to match the German's birdie and stay four ahead.

"Yannik played great and hit some good shots under pressure," said Whitnell. "He started off with a nice eagle down the fourth and then we sort of mixed and matched birdies, but yeah I just kept my head, and it was nice to follow it in up the last."

Ramsay made three birdies in a five-hole stretch on his back nine to post a three-under 69 and get to 13 under, while Van Dam matched the lowest round of the day with a nine-under 63 to jump to fourth spot.

Van Dam is the highest-ranked female in the unique event, where men and women compete on the same venue for one prize fund and one trophy, with Gabriella Cowley and Madelene Sagstrom in the group tied-fifth after third-round 64s.

"This morning I was looking and there were only four girls in front of me and 24 guys, so I knew I had a lot of catching up to do," Van Dam said. "It was a nice day to go out there and play aggressive."

Who will win the Scandinavian Mixed? Watch the final round live on Sunday from midday on Sky Sports Golf.

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