Stenson surges towards lead

Henrik Stenson was making a move on the leaders during the early stages of his third round in the £2.5m (€3.6m) Alfred Dunhill Links championship.

The 31-year-old from Gothenburg, fourth on the European money list and well in the hunt for the Order of Merit title, made inroads on top spot by covering his opening five holes at Kingsbarns in three under par to move on to the 10-under mark for the tournament.

Ryder Cup player Stenson, the winner of the Dubai Desert Classic and WGC Matchplay championship this season, picked up a birdie two at the par-three second before illuminating his card with an eagle three at the 516-yard third.

Stenson’s early surge had pushed him to within a shot of the lead held by Nick Dougherty, Peter O’Malley, Hennie Otto and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

Dougherty, O’Malley and Otto, the joint pace-setters after round two, were all level par through the early holes of their third rounds while Spaniard Fernandez-Castano, made it a four-way tie at the top by picking up a birdie at Carnoustie’s 12th – his third – to go to 11 under.

Former Open champion Ernie Els, third in the race for the Order of Merit crown, was sitting on the 10-under mark after a level-par start to his round at Kingsbarns but Englishman Kenneth Ferrie, one off the lead at the start of the day, saw his hopes of making an assault on the leaders suffer an early blow as he slumped to bogeys at the second and fourth at Carnoustie to fall back to eight under.

He was joined on that mark by a host of players which included Open silver medal winner Rory McIlroy. The Irish teenager, making only his second professional appearance, reeled off birdies on his opening two holes at Kingsbarns to continue his clamber up the rankings.