Dier stays in charge

Tobias Dier maintained his grip on the TNT Open in the early stages of the third round at Hilversum today.

Dier led by five shots after his record-equalling 60 in the opening round, and was three ahead overnight after adding an error free 67 yesterday.

The 25-year-old has yet to record a bogey this week and three more pars this afternoon were enough to increase his advantage.

Playing partner Jamie Spence dropped a shot at the opening hole to fall back to nine under, while Australian Peter Lonard, alongside Spence at the start of the day, ran up a double bogey six at the fourth.

Compatriot Jarrod Moseley had made the biggest move of the day with three birdies in his first six holes to join Spence in second, while pre-tournament favourite Padraig Harrington had birdied the first to move to eight under along with playing partner Gary Evans.

The best round of the day so far had come from Leicester’s Matthew Cort who carded a 64 to post the early clubhouse target of eight under.

Lee Westwood had dropped four shots in 11 holes and looks to still be short of the sort of form that made him European number one in 2000.

The 29-year-old has not won since September that year and has slumped from a career-high fourth in the world to his current lowly 104th.

A bogey at the third was followed by a double bogey six on the fourth, a 465-yard par four converted from a par five for the tournament.

He did manage a birdie on the sixth, but further shots went at the eighth and 11th and at level par he was 13 shots off the pace.