Lawrie snaps at photo intrusion

Former Open champion Paul Lawrie was today trying to forget his run-in with a photographer to focus on winning the Portuguese Open.

Lawrie went into the third round just two shots off the lead shared by Paul Broadhurst and Portugal’s Jose-Filipe Lima following a 67 at Oitavos Golf Club.

But the Scot could well have been sharing top spot on eight under par if not for being disturbed by a photographer when playing his second shot to the 17th hole yesterday.

The 36-year-old from Aberdeen carved his approach to the par-four into a bush to the left of the green, and from there he was only able to hack the ball across the green into more trouble.

“It’s just one of those things but I was very upset at the time,” admitted Lawrie, who has slumped to 346th in the world rankings and finished 140th on the Order of Merit last season.

That would have cost him his tour card for this season but for a 10-year exemption for his victory at Carnoustie in 1999.

“He was obviously trying to time his picture at impact which is ridiculous. It was right on my change of direction,” said Lawrie.

“It’s a shame because I was playing really well. I’m starting to hit the ball solidly, see the shots and execute them. We are getting there.”

Pre-tournament favourite Nick Dougherty also stumbled over the closing stretch for the second day running, carding a double bogey on the 17th and bogey on the 18th.

Dougherty, who ran up an eight on the 18th in the first round after driving out of bounds, was seven under for the day before dropping back to three under par.

“It’s a shame because I played myself back into it and I’ve left myself a lot of work to do,” said the Liverpudlian, who won his first tour title in Singapore earlier this season.

“I’ve dropped a lot of shots in a short space of time over the last two days and if I lose by a couple of shots in the end I’ll be pretty unhappy.”

Broadhurst, seeking a first tour victory in a decade, carded a flawless 66 to share the halfway lead with Lima, one shot ahead of English duo Barry Lane and Simon Dyson.

Lane returned a 67 while Dyson set a new course record with a superb 64 as the players made the most of the calmer conditions on Portugal’s Atlantic coast.