Shaky start for Scott at Open

Overnight leader Adam Scott today endured a shaky start to the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Lytham.

The 32-year-old Australian began the day with a four-shot lead over playing partner Graeme McDowell and American Brandt Snedeker, with 14-time major winner Tiger Woods ominously poised another shot adrift.

But that lead was instantly trimmed when he failed to get up and down from the back of the first green – Lytham is the only course on the Open rotation to start with a par three – while McDowell did save par after pulling his tee shot well wide of the target.

Scott, seeking his first major title, hit back superbly with a brilliant approach to three feet at the second to get the shot back, but then found a greenside bunker on the third to drop another shot.

At 10 under par he was three ahead of Snedeker, who did not drop a shot until his 41st hole this week and had opened with five straight pars.

McDowell was a shot further back after having to play out sideways from a fairway bunker on the second, while Woods remained six under after five consecutive pars which indicated he was sticking to his conservative strategy.