Hansen edges ahead

Denmark’s Soren Hansen today held a slender lead midway through the final round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Cologne.

Hansen began the day tied with compatriot Thomas Bjorn on 12 under par and picked up two birdies to improve to 14 under at the turn.

The Monte Carlo-based 33-year-old had briefly been three clear when he holed from five feet on the seventh for his second birdie of the day, but Bjorn hit back with birdies of his own on the eighth and ninth.

Yet another Dane, Soren Kjeldsen, was two shots further back in third after eight birdies and one bogey today, but the 32-year-old had just two holes left to play.

Lee Westwood, who equalled the lowest round of his career with a 61 on Thursday, was five shots off the pace as he continued to suffer from the effects of a heavy cold.