Scott leads by four after Snedeker falters on front nine

Australian Adam Scott leads the pack on day three of the 2012 Open Championship by four strokes.

Tiger Woods and Brandt Snedeker are tied for second place on seven under par.

Ireland's Graeme McDowell is best of the Irish and tied with Matt Kuchar on four under in seventh place.

Padraig Harrington carded a round of 70 today to remain on two over.

His playing partner Rory McILroy could only manage a 73 to drop back to five over.

Snedeker began the day with a one-shot lead after equalling the 36-hole Open record of 130 thanks to rounds of 66 and 64, in which he had not carded a single bogey or found one of Lytham's 206 dangerous bunkers.

But the first of those impressive streaks came to an end when he three-putted from just short of the fifth green, while the second ended just one hole later as his approach to the sixth found sand.

Snedeker recovered well with a pitch to five feet for a birdie on the par-five seventh, but playing partner Adam Scott - the first-round leader after his own 64 on Thursday - had taken over the lead on 10 under after six straight pars were followed by a two-putt birdie on the seventh.

Tiger Woods' bid for a first major title since 2008, and a 15th overall, looked to be fizzling out when he dropped two shots in his first three holes, but the American then holed from 60ft for birdie on the sixth, chipped and putted for another from the back edge of the seventh and converted a superb approach to five feet on the par-five ninth.

Playing partner Thorbjorn Olesen was refusing to be overwhelmed by playing with the former world number one, the Dane also recovering from two dropped shots to get back to five under at the turn.

That left him alongside 2002 winner Ernie Els, second and third in the last two Opens to be played at Lytham, who had picked up two shots in his first 11 holes.

Former Masters champion Zach Johnson had set the clubhouse target on five under after carding a 66.