Dunne Follows Bobby Jones

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Paul Dunne shares the lead with 2010 winner Louis Oosthuizen and Australia’s Jason Day going into the final round of The Open Championship at St Andrews.

However, just one shot behind the leading trio, Jordan Spieth's bid for the third leg of an unprecedented calendar grand slam remained firmly on track after a breathless third round.

Masters Tournament and US Open champion Spieth could be denied a place in the record books by an equally remarkable performance after Dunne claimed a share of the lead.

Days after being mistaken for Spieth by fans seeking autographs due to their identical clothing, Dunne carded a flawless 66 on the Old Course to finish 12 under par alongside playing partner Oosthuizen - whose win in 2010 came last time The Open was staged at St Andrews - and perennial Major contender Day.

Spieth also shot 66, with 2007 and 2008 champion Padraig Harrington a shot further back on ten under after a superb 65.

Nine players were tied for sixth on nine under, including another amateur in American Jordan Niebrugge, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott, along with England's Danny Willett, who led outright after ten holes but drove out of bounds on the 14th.

Dunne is the first amateur since the legendary Bobby Jones to lead The Open after 54 holes, the American going on to lift the Claret Jug at St Andrews in 1927.

Three years later, Jones became the last amateur winner of The Open to date at Royal Liverpool and went on to complete the "Impregnable Quadrilateral" of Amateur Championship, Open Championship, US Open and US Amateur titles.

Paul Dunne Factoids

Started golf when he was 10 and began playing "properly" from age of 12.

Now 22, he booked his place at the Open through final qualifying at Woburn, finishing ahead of the likes of Retief Goosen and Colin Montgomerie, having done exactly the same 12 months earlier to secure his debut in the event at Royal Liverpool. However, he almost missed his tee time for qualifying this year after not allowing enough time for the shuttle bus to get him to the 10th tee.

Won the 2010 Irish Youths Amateur Championship title, following in the footsteps of Open champions Padraig Harrington and Louis Oosthuizen, who won his Claret Jug at St Andrews.

Aiming to become the first amateur to win the Open since Bobby Jones in 1930. He is also in line to become the first Irishman to win the silver medal, awarded to the leading amateur making the cut, since a certain Rory McIlroy at Carnoustie in 2007.

Graduated from the University of Alabama in business finance in April. Fellow Irishman Alan Murray coached him at university and is caddying for him this week.

Plans to turn professional later in the year after the Walker Cup, which he is trying to qualify for having been included in a provisional 20-man squad.

Wears same apparel as two-time major winner Jordan Spieth, whom he leads by one stroke, and has been mistaken for the calendar year Grand Slam-chasing American more than once this week.

St Andrew's Needs Work - GMAC

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Graeme McDowell has suggested the Old Course at St Andrews may need some work to ensure it remains Open Championship standard.

There has been some discussion throughout the week as to whether the 'home of golf', as playing and equipment standards continue to improve, could become too easy for the game's elite

The reputation of the Old Course was defended by Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A, the organisers, but with the championship returning to St Andrews every five years, the debate is likely to continue.

"When you see the type of power that these guys are using and putting on the golf ball, you start wondering what they can do with it to keep it up to modern times," said McDowell after completing his third round.

"The bunkers are just not really in play enough."

Due to the course's proximity to St Andrews town centre and the North Sea, there is little room to expand but McDowell does not think making holes longer is necessarily the answer.

He said: "I don't think you've got to go put a ton of yardage on this golf course.

"I think if this golf course just had a tiny bit more rough and the bunkers were slightly up to modern yardages, I think this golf course is still all there in front of you.

"Unfortunately driving the ball is just too easy this week.

"This is a fantastic golf course and it doesn't need a complete rejig, it just needs a little bit of reshaping here and there."

McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion, was among the early starters as the third round got under way a day late after interruptions for bad weather on Friday and Saturday.

He made a blistering start with four birdies in five holes, and four more followed, but two double bogeys, among six dropped shots, left him off the pace on two under and signing for 70.

The Northern Irishman said: "I played lovely, I really did, but I drove the ball disgusting.

"I'm not really quite sure what's wrong with my driving, everything else is pretty good.

"That's got to go down as an extremely frustrating and disappointing round, because it was there or thereabouts."

McDowell, 35, feels he is not far off rediscovering his best.

He said: "It's tough at times but there are signs of life. I've just got to wait, be patient. My time will come."

Harrington Makes Sunday Move

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Padraig Harrington's lowest round in a Major shot him into contention for another Claret Jug, and he believes his experience could be a significant factor on the final day at St Andrews.

The Irishman carded a seven under par 65 to leap to ten under and create a realistic chance of capturing his fourth Major as the tournament heads for Monday finish.

His previous best single-round score was back-to-back 66s on the weekend to win the 2008 US PGA, having also made that score at The Open way back in 2001 at Lytham.

Harrington's first win on a major Tour in seven years came at March's Honda Classic, which also needed an extra day, but it is his memories of getting the job done on the final day of a Major that he will be looking to use on Monday.

"I always wanted to shoot 65 on the Sunday of an Open - obviously there's another round to go tomorrow," he joked.

"I'll be certainly telling myself that I know what I'm doing and I've done it before and I'll be using it to help myself for sure, having done it twice before.

"Clearly things were going well for me today but I didn't want to look up (to the scoreboard) and see somebody getting away and be disappointed.

"When things are going well you might as well just keep your head down and keep going.

"There's no point in looking around and getting distracted. I didn't look until I finished off on 18."

The 144th Open Championship over the Old Course is shaping up to be one of the closest in a long time with the top of the leaderboard tightly packed.

In a week that produces mixed feelings for Harrington - a decade ago his father died and he pulled out of the event at St Andrews, while last year his coach Bob Torrance passed away – the 44 year old insists he will not be wearing his emotions on his sleeve.

"I'm not going to try to get emotionally involved in any shape or form," he added.