Golding closing in on first tour win

Philip Golding, the 40-year-old who has made a record 16 visits to the European tour qualifying school, has a chance to be remembered for something more than that.

A third round 68 in the French Open at Le Golf National near Paris leaves him leading by one on the 12 under par mark of 204.

Golding has never finished higher than sixth in 200 tour starts, but is now aiming for a first prize of just over £290,000 (€420,000) which is almost as much as he earned in his entire career prior to this season.

But if he needs inspiration for the closing 18 holes all he has to do is think to last year's event. Sheffield's Malcolm Mackenzie, also 40 at the time, won his first tour title at his 509th attempt.

"It's been a real battle and everybody tells me about the record, so obviously winning is a dream," said Golding, who was persuaded by his wife Sally to make another trip to the school last November after an agonising finish to the season.

He produced a closing 63, the best round of his life, in the final counting event, the Italian Open, and thought he had saved his tour career. But he fell to 13th and discovered later he needed a 62.

Halfway leader Thomas Bjorn surprisingly bogeyed three of his first seven holes, but came back and would have shared top spot except for missing a three-foot birdie putt on the last.

As a result the Ryder Cup Dane shares second with cup team-mate Pierre Fulke, of Sweden, England's Barry Lane and David Howell and Australian Peter O'Malley.