Leader Goosen looking for inspiration

Retief Goosen remains on course for back-to-back victories – after a round today he described as “rubbish”.

The South African, in his first tournament since capturing his second US Open title, was caught by both Lee Westwood and little-known Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara in the third round of the Smurfit European Open at the K Club near Dublin.

But a 10-foot birdie putt on the 376-yard 15th put Goosen back in sole possession of top spot and he then safely negotiated a final hole which an hour earlier had seen Swede Peter Hedblom put three balls in the water for a sextuple bogey 11.

“If you can still be in the lead it’s not all that bad,” said the world number seven, who stands nine under par with 18 holes to go.

“But hopefully I can play better tomorrow. I struggled to get into a rhythm and hit a lot of poor shots.”

Lara, chasing his first European Tour success, lies second, one stroke behind. Westwood, seeking his third win in the event is two shots back in third.

The highlight of Westwood’s 71 was an eagle putt of around 60 feet on the long 10th, but it followed a double bogey six where he had to be taken back to the tee after his drive into the trees nearly finished in the River Liffey.

He said: “It was a bit frustrating out there – I felt I played better than 71. But everybody is going to hit bad shots and I’m no exception.

“Over the last few years I’ve hit more bad shots than most people, but you just have to put it out of your mind.

“But if you can have a day when you don’t hole any putts (with one notable exception) and don’t do any damage you have to take consolation from that.” He started three behind and finished closer.

Lara, a 27-year-old from Valencia, was joint second in the Italian Open last year and third in Qatar this March, but he has missed his last five cuts and was heading for another when he played his first nine holes in five over on Thursday.

He was wondering then whether a shamrock badge he was given for luck was doing any good, but he followed that with five successive birdies, then had a hole-in-one in his second round 68 and improved one shot on that today to earn himself a last-group pairing with Goosen.

For Lara to win would be a major shock – he is 218th in the world.

England’s Paul Broadhurst, one of the first day leaders, and Australian Peter O’Malley share fourth place, while local man Paul McGinley has five strokes to make up.

Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, who carried the main Irish hopes at the start of the week, disappointed again and will go into the final round way out of contention on six over par.

For the second day running, Harrington covered the last four holes in four over, this time finishing with a double bogey seven for a 76.

The Dubliner, yet to win on home soil in a European Tour event, has not won anywhere this year, but with two seconds on the American circuit his optimism remains intact.

“You get weeks like this,” he said. “You just can’t do it every week. You’ve got to be patient and wait for your weeks.

“I three-putted three times today and I don’t usually do it in a tournament, let alone in one round on good greens. The finish was disappointing again, but it’s not the end of the world – I’d be more disappointed if I was eight under and did it.”

Clarke, who admitted on Friday he would not have minded if he had missed the cut, abandoned his experiment with a belly putter, but went in the water at the last for a 74.

The Ulsterman was also reported to have let his feelings be known when he bogeyed the 10th after a blind shot from Rolf Muntz in the group behind reached him and Klas Eriksson before they had cleared the green.

Unlike Harrington, Clarke is playing next week’s Scottish Open and so has another chance to find some form heading to the Open Championship at Troon, the course where he led by four seven years ago before dropping into a tie for second with Jesper Parnevik, three behind Justin Leonard.

Harrington’s playing partner was Nick Faldo, whose own 74 put him on four over.

Faldo will be 47 on the Sunday of Open week and will be playing his fourth championship there. He was joint fourth in 1982, when Tom Watson had the fourth of his five victories, and 11th behind Mark Calcavecchia in 1989, but only 51st last time.

“I’m quite happy with things and just need some local knowledge,” he said. “It’ll come alive when you get there and this is good practice because I’m sure the good old west coast of Scotland will be lovely and breezy.”

His opening 10 over 81 in the US Open was his worst-ever round in a major, but by following it with a 70 he did at least heal most of the scars.

End