Monty continues to make impression

Colin Montgomerie birdied the opening hole for the third day running to stretch his Volvo Masters lead at Valderrama today.

A pitch to five feet this time led to Montgomerie taking yet another step towards not only victory in the event, but also an eighth European Order of Merit title.

He was 10 under par with Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia – first and second respectively after a play-off on seven under last year – three strokes back.

The birdie also left Michael Campbell nine strokes adrift and with a mountain to climb just to keep the Order of Merit race alive going into the final round.

The New Zealander, nearly £105,000 (€154,000) behind Montgomerie entering the final counting event, has to finish in the top four just to have a chance. He was in joint 14th spot.

Welshman Bradley Dredge birdied the second to remain in fourth place on five under, while a superb move through the field was made by Dubliner Paul McGinley.

Four successive birdies from the third made McGinley four under and joint fifth with Lee Westwood and Swede Henrik Stenson.

McGinley was paired with Luke Donald, who matched his birdies at the fourth and fifth, but then three-putted the next to slip back to two under.

Like Donald, Westwood hit a magnificent approach to the long fourth – but neither could make the curling eagle putts from just above the hole.