Donald in contention in the US

Three successive birdies around the turn left England’s Luke Donald only one shot off the lead at the final round of the Barclays Classic in windy New York.

Donald, joint seventh at the start of the day, had played the first eight holes in one over, but his hopes of a second US Tour win of the season were lit up again when he followed a 15-foot putt on the long ninth with efforts from seven and 30 feet at the start of the inward half.

At seven under par Donald, trying to regain a place in the world’s top 10 going into this week’s US Open at nearby Winged Foot, was right on the heels of joint leaders Vijay Singh, Adam Scott and Brett Quigley.

Five Europeans were in the hunt with a round to go and after 10 holes Swede Fredrik Jacobson was only two back and joint fifth, but Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter had four strokes to make up and David Howell – fourth overnight – was down in 13th place on three under.

Howell bogeyed the second and fourth and what was first shown on the scoreboard as an eagle three at the long ninth was then changed to a bogey six that left him five adrift.

American Tom Pernice had made the biggest charge of the day, an outward 30 with six birdies making him joint leader. But he could not escape from driving into thick rough on the 11th, then three-putted the 14th.

As 54-hole leader Billy Andrade had a shocking time on the greens Singh and Scott climbed to the top of the leaderboard, Scott by chipping in for eagle at the long fifth and Singh by two-putting for birdie there.

Scott’s bogey on the seventh left Singh out in front of his own, but after both had found sand on the par five ninth the Australian was the one to get up and down for birdie.

Quigley, meanwhile, gave himself the opportunity for a first victory on the circuit by covering the first 10 holes in two under.