Dubliner Pádraig Harrington is one shot behind overnight leader Alex Čejka at The Senior Open at Royal Portcawl.
The German carded four birdies, including at the last hole, to card a three over par 74 and to move into the third round lead.
“I really didn’t hit many great shots,” Čejka conceded. “I kind of drove it in play but had three, four really poor shots, cost me a bogey, but overall, I made a couple birdies. Three over is three over. It was a tough day for everybody. Still on top of the leaderboard, so I’m pleased.”
Pádraig Harrington and Englishman Phillip Archer were two of seven players to shoot a level par 71, the low round of the day. They moved into a tie for second place alongside New Zealand’s Steven Alker and three-time Major winner Vijay Singh on one over par.
“I didn’t feel I had done much wrong”
Following his third round, Pádraig Harrington said:
“I didn’t feel like I had done much wrong to be three over. In one sense I felt okay about how I was playing and the other sense, I wasn’t sure. You’re never quite sure how the rest of the field is going to go. I’m four over par, the leader is four under, and you’re kind of worried you’re going to get eight, nine shots at the end of the day, which is too much.“Obviously a big break on the last. Hit 3-wood, 9-iron to five feet. It was inches. I was going to hit the putt left lip, and I was standing over and it was blowing and blowing. I ended up hitting it — tried to hit it left half, probably hit it straight and just got in the right side.“You know, I’ve chipped poorly this week. That’s my strength and I chipped poorly. I had two big long weeks. You know, I didn’t finish as well as I would have wanted in Scotland, and then The Open, being a major, I was just working hard for two weeks. You know what, I put down a few down chips just to being mentally tired.”Second round leader Alker struggled to a five over par round of 76 but still remains in the hunt for his second Senior Major title after recording an ace at the par three 15th hole, the 14th in Senior Open history.
Clarke and Mooney
American Jerry Kelly and Scotland’s Grieg Hutcheon share sixth place on two over par, while 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie, America’s Mario Tiziani and Australia’s Richard Green are a shot further back in a tie for eighth.
Darren Clarke shot a third round of 73, to go with round of 73 and 74 respectively. The Dungannon man is on 220, seven shots off the leader.
Damian Mooney carded his worst round of the competition so far, singing for a 75 on Saturday. He is a further two strokes behind his fellow Irish golfer Darren Clarke.Germany’s Bernhard Langer remains in the hunt for a fifth Senior Open title – and third at Royal Porthcawl – as he sits in a tie for 11th on four over, alongside nine others including Welsh duo Bradley Dredge and Phil Price.
Scores after round three (select scores):
213 A CEJKA (GER) 68 71 74, 214 P HARRINGTON 75 68 71, P ARCHER (ENG) 73 70 71, V SINGH (FIJ) 69 72 73, S ALKER (NZL) 70 68 76, 215 J KELLY (USA) 73 71 71, G HUTCHEON (SCO) 72 68 75, 216 R GREEN (AUS) 72 73 71, M TIZIANI (USA) 68 75 73, P LAWRIE (SCO) 70 71 75, 217 J SINGH (IND) 69 77 71, M JONZON (SWE) 74 72 71, E MCINTOSH (SCO) 74 71 72, S KHAN (ENG) 73 71 73, T GILLIS (USA) 70 74 73, P PRICE (WAL) 72 72 73, B DREDGE (WAL) 71 72 74, T JAIDEE (THA) 73 70 74, B LANGER (GER) 73 69 75, 218 K CHOI (KOR) 75 72 71, K DUKE (USA) 71 73 74, C MONTGOMERIE (SCO) 72 70 76, A HANSEN (DEN) 72 69 77, 219 M MOLINA (ARG) 72 74 73, J HAEGGMAN (SWE) 74 71 74, C DENNIS (USA) 72 72 75, P SJ?LAND (SWE) 73 71 75, P STREETER (ENG) 73 71 75, J SANDELIN (SWE) 70 73 76, E CANONICA (ITA) 72 70 77, P BROADHURST (ENG) 70 71 78, 220 D CLARKE 73 74 73, G DAY (USA) 76 71 73, K TANIGAWA (USA) 73 72 75, D MCGUIGAN (SCO) 75 69 76, G ORR (SCO) 71 72 77, S BERTSCH (USA) 73 69 78, K HORNE (RSA) 70 72 78, S TINNING (DEN) 72 70 78, 221 R GONZALEZ (ARG) 73 73 75, M CAMPBELL (NZL) 77 69 75, T PETROVIC (USA) 74 72 75, H FRAZAR (USA) 73 72 76, D BRANSHAW (USA) 73 72 76, 222 D MOONEY 73 74 75, R CHAPMAN (ENG) 77 70 75, H FUJITA (JPN) 75 72 75, D MCKENZIE (AUS) 76 70 76, J KEMP (AM) (ENG) 74 71 77, J REMESY (FRA) 72 71 79,
