Lockerbie finds Singapore swing to lead

European Tour rookie Gary Lockerbie today moved within touching distance of his first victory as a professional after carding a three-under-par 69 to share the third-round lead at the Clariden Leu Singapore Masters.

The 24-year-old from Cumbria fired seven birdies on the Masters course at Laguna National Golf and Country Club but missed a four-foot par putt at the 18th which dropped him back into a tie with China’s Liang Wen-Chong.

Second-round leader Jyoti Randhawa of India carded an even-par 72 to finish the day on 11 under, one stroke behind the leaders.

Iain Steel of Malaysia, who held a two-stroke lead midway through the round, shot a double bogey and four bogeys on the back nine for a 71 that put him at 10 under, level with Peter Lawrie of Ireland, who shot 70.

Lockerbie, who began the day on nine under, two strokes behind Randhawa, birdied the third and fifth but picked up a double bogey on the eighth to drop back to where he started in the US $1.1m (€838,000) event, co-sanctioned by the Asian and European Tours.

However, the 2003 English amateur champion enjoyed a run of three birdies at the next four holes, and after a bogey on the 14th picked up shots again at the 16th and 17th to move two strokes ahead of Liang and Randhawa.

Unfortunately for the Challenge Tour graduate, he missed the fairway with his tee shot at the last and failed to salvage par to fall back into a tie with Liang, who birdied the 18th.

It was the sixth birdie of the day for the Chinese player in his round of 68 that put him into contention for his first victory on either the Asian or European tours.

Randhawa had an up-and-down day which included four birdies and four bogeys while Steel surged to the top of the leaderboard with a run of consecutive birdies at his first four holes and another birdie at the ninth, as he went out in 31 before giving almost everything back with a disastrous 40 on the back nine.

Simon Dyson had a share of sixth place with Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand on nine under after shooting a five-under 67 that included an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys, while Nick Dougherty, the 2005 winner and runner-up last year, moved into contention after firing a six-under-par 66 to move to eight under.

Robert Rock is on seven under after firing a five-under 67 for his best round of the week while Barry Hume of Scotland shot a four-over 76 that included a double bogey on the 13th to slip to six under.

Defending champion Mardan Mamat of Singapore was five under after a two-under 70, in which a chip-in eagle at the second was the highlight.