GMAC Keeps Leader Scott in Sight

For the second Major in a row Graeme McDowell goes into the final round playing in the last group out.

The 2010 US Open Champion, second in that event last month, is four behind Australian Adam Scott after a third round 67 at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

McDowell was only level par for the day with six to play, but then birdied the 13th, 14th and 17th to earn himself a head-to-head with Scott.

While being in the final group did not work out as he hoped in San Francisco, it did at Pebble Beach two years ago.

The Northern Irishman, up into joint second with American Brandt Snedeker, came from three shots back on the final day to win the 2010 US Open and only last month was one putt away from forcing a play-off in the same event.

And then there is Tiger Woods one stroke further back in fourth place. He senses a chance to grab his fourth Claret Jug and 15th Major four traumatic years after he last tasted success at the highest level.

Taking advantage of Snedeker running into all sorts of problems following his Major-record-equalling first two rounds, 31 year old Scott moved to 11 under par and back out in front with a 68.

His 199 total is only one outside The Open Championship record set by Tom Lehman on the Lancashire links in 1996.

Snedeker had not been in a single bunker or registered a single bogey in his opening 36 holes - but it was not long before that all changed.

He three-putted the 219 yard fifth from just short of the green and then found sand with his approach to the next.

It cost him another dropped shot after he came out sideways and Scott's six straight pars were good enough to take him back into the lead he had held with his opening 64.

Both birdied the long seventh, but while Scott then added a 25 foot putt for another at the 416 yard eighth Snedeker ran up his third bogey after finding the rough.

That made the gap three and when it became four after Snedeker visited another bunker at the ninth, the Nashville golfer was not even second on his own.

Alongside him was Woods. Six back after bogeys at the first and third he re-ignited his bid with an outrageous 60 footer at the difficult sixth and followed with more birdies at the seventh and ninth.

Snedeker's day got worse when he ran up a six on the long 11th, but Scott was on in two and not far away from an eagle. The tap-in birdie swept him five clear.

He did bogey the next, but six closing pars kept him in firm control and on course to become Australia's first winner of the title since Greg Norman in 1993 and their first Major Champion since Geoff Ogilvy at the 2006 US Open.

Snedeker rallied with two birdies in the last three for a 73 that pushed Woods down to fourth - and it ought to be remembered that he has never come from behind to win a Major yet.

Joint fifth are 2002 winner Ernie Els and former Masters Tournament champion Zach Johnson, who flew to Britain after capturing the John Deere Classic last Sunday.

Harrington Struggles to Bag a 70

Padraig Harrington admitted he was "at sixes and sevens" with his game despite managing a level-par 70 in the third round of the Open Championship at Royal Lytham.

The two-time champion, playing with Rory McIlroy for the first time in a major, pulled off a series of par saves and carded his second birdie of the day at 17 to get under the card for the round.

But the Irishman bogeyed the last for the second day running to return to two over for the tournament, and he conceded that his score could have been a lot worse.

"The 70 was a steal - and 69 would have been a miracle. I was really at sixes and sevens with my game," he said.

"It was a big struggle. I didn't show much trust, faith or confidence in anything out there, so it was nice that my short game saved me.

"The first two rounds I just didn't hit my wedges very well. I was sorting that problem out and it certainly got in my head. I wasn't settling on any good thoughts."

McIlroy also admitted to lacking confidence as he posted a 73 to drop to five over, and Harrington added: "Rory was looking for a fast start and he didn't get it.

"Things went against him. It's not much fun when you're two or three over par and you're looking to be four, five, six under."

McIlroy Frustrated with Golf Form

Rory McIlroy admitted he was frustrated after recording a three over par 73 that ended his hopes of winning the Claret Jug for another year.

The 23 year-old World No. 2 will go into tomorrow’s final round on five over par 215 and too far behind the leaders to mount a serious challenge.

The Holywood started his third round with a trio of pars but then dropped shots at the 4th, 5th and 8th to go out in three over par 37. He shed another shot on the 12th before securing his only birdie of the day with a three on the 336-yard par-4 16th hole.

“I got off to a bad start and couldn’t really do much from there,” he said. “It’s a bit frustrating. I was up for it this morning trying to go out there and post a good score but after playing the front nine like I did you’re just trying to shoot the best score you can.

“I’m frustrated but that’s just the way it is. That’s golf. You just have to get on with it and keep practising and stay patient until it turns around.”

McIlroy has had little to cheer about in the Majors since capturing the US Open 13 months ago. He finished tied 25th at last year’s Open and tied 64th at the subsequent PGA Championship before claiming a share of 40th place at this year’s Masters and missing the cut on his defence of the recent US Open at the Olympic Club.

GUR for Lytham Bunkers - McDowell

Graeme McDowell last night warned that some of The Open’s waterlogged bunkers were not fair and should be taken out of play.

The heavy rain of recent weeks saw the water table at Royal Lytham & St Annes on the Lancashire coast rise to such an extent that there was casual water in several of the links course’s bunkers during the first two rounds and McDowell said that unless they were dried out, the R&A should consider ruling them Ground Under Repair (GUR), meaning a player can drop out of such areas without penalty. 

"A few of those bunkers there are kind of a little bit of a question mark," said McDowell. "But we’re lucky that we’re playing. The golf course is on the edge of unplayable. 

"I’m not sure in other parts of the world if this was a normal tournament, some of those bunkers need to be GUR’d. I saw one in particular left of the 16th green, if you hit it in there, there’s nowhere to drop and there’s a foot of water. 

"That’s not golf. It’s not fair. A few of these bunkers that are question marks need to be taken out of play. Hopefully they can get them dried out overnight. 

"The golf course has remained unbelievably dry, considering how much rain we’ve had. The bunkers are a little dodgy in some places, unfortunately."