Donald enjoys luck of the bounce

Luke Donald followed up one of the luckiest bounces of his career to stay in the hunt for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am today.

After nine holes of his third round at Poppy Hills, the 28-year-old Englishman was 12 under par, only two behind joint leaders Mike Weir and Arron Oberholser.

The lucky break had come right at the end of Donald’s second round at Pebble Beach. He looked in danger of falling six strokes adrift when his approach to the 18th was pulled towards the Pacific Ocean.

However, it rebounded off rocks below the sea wall and finished in a greenside bunker, from where he got up and down for birdie and a level par 72.

Donald – who began the week with a career-low, course record-equalling 62 at Spyglass Hill – resumed today on the back nine at Poppy, but after picking up a shot at each of the first two par fives he three-putted the 13th for bogey.

However, the 18th is also a par five and Donald, seeking his third victory on American soil, two-putted it to turn in 34.

Weir, runner-up to Phil Mickelson last year, resumed with a three-stroke lead, but was among the later starters at Spyglass and Oberholser had birdies at the 13th, 17th and 18th at Pebble Beach to catch him.

Mickelson himself was making a charge on Pebble’s front nine, four birdies in the first eight holes taking him to seven under and from 52nd spot to 15th.

Swede Fredrik Jacobson, joint third with Donald overnight, fell back to eight under with two early bogeys at Poppy, while Brian Davis and Paul McGinley both stood six under as they neared the turn at Spyglass.

On the same course it had to be noted too that former Open and Masters champion Sandy Lyle was clear last. After a second round 82 he was in danger of something even worse when he turned in 44.

When the Scot dropped another shot on the long first he was nine over for the day and 23 over for the tournament. Graeme McDowell and Greg Owen, third last year, were looking like missing the cut as well.