Michael Hoey shot a third consecutive 66 to hold a three-shot lead over Graeme McDowell at the Dunhill Links Championship.
Three-shot lead for Northern Irishman at Dunhill Links
Michael Hoey shot a third consecutive 66, this time at Carnoustie, to hold a three-shot lead over fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell after the third round of the Dunhill Links Championship.
Although conditions worsened slightly after a glorious two days, scoring was still good, with Hoey finishing on 18-under-par after a third successive 66 while McDowell shot his third round of 67 over at St Andrews.
The Old Course was left largely defenceless once again and two Englishman, Simon Dyson and Luke Donald, took advantage as they both equalled the new lay-out course record with a pair of 63s.
Former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen shot 69 on his return to St Andrews to sit in third place on his own on 14-under, ahead of a seven-strong gang sitting on 13-under.
US Open champion Rory McIlroy is one of that group after his round of 66, while three-time major winner Padraig Harrington looked somewhere near his best with a flawless round of 63 at St Andrews.
Record rounds
That was not quite the best round of the day though, as Dyson and Donald both equalled the record McIlroy set on the new St Andrews lay-out in last year's Open.
Dyson, who carded his 63 shortly before world number one Donald matched it, could have set a new record only to leave his birdie putt short on the 18th.
"I'm very, very happy with the day," said Dyson, who is 30th in the world rankings after two wins this year.
"I didn't realise my birdie putt on the 18th was for the course record otherwise I might have hit it a bit harder. But it's a good name to share the record with."
Overnight leader Tommy Fleetwood battled well at Carnoustie, but dropped two shots in his closing three holes to card a one-under round of 71 and join the group on 13-under, but it was Hoey who took the headlines on day three.
Talent
"Michael's always been a very talented player," McDowell said of the leader. "He's a great ball-striker, a great swing. He's always had the talent and won the British Amateur in 2001 before playing the Walker Cup.
"It's a fine line between guys who go on to become the best in the world and guys who become journeymen pros. And you wouldn't say Michael is a journeyman, he's popped up twice and won on tour, and won well each time.
"When he applied himself and puts it all together he's as good as anyone out there. Why he doesn't put it together more often, who knows?"
McDowell is rebuilding his game after a disappointing year this year following his sensational 2010, and a return to former coach Clive Tucker might just do the trick.
"A top five or top 10 tomorrow will be a nice result for me," he added. "I'm happy that I'm taking some steps in the right direction and I've always felt this was a tournament I could win, especially after shooting a 62 in the first round in 2004 and losing out in a play-off."
Donald picked up his final shot with a birdie on 18 at St Andrews as he looks to become the first man to top both the European and American money lists.
