Westwood now target for pack

When most others were treating leadership like they would a hot potato, throwing it from one to another, Lee Westwood yesterday delved back into the sort of form that 12 months ago made him one of the world's most dynamic players.

An error-free third round of 67 for 12-under-par 201 enabled the Englishman, defending his Standard Life Loch Lomond title, to assume a one stroke lead with just one day's work remaining.

But Westwood will have need to watch his rear-view mirror in today's final round. Bunched behind him, all within three strokes of the lead, are nine players who know what it takes to win. And, for the first time in the tournament, Spain's teenage sensation Sergio Garcia will have to play catch-up after a frustrating day in conditions more reminiscent of his home land than the Scottish highlands.

Intriguingly, however, the Stg£1 million tournament - and the top prize of £166,660 - is there to be won by any number of people.

"I'm just real happy nobody went crazy today and ran away with it," confessed Jesper Parnevik, one member of the quartet (which includes Thomas Bjorn, David Park and Mats Lanner) who are one shot adrift of the leader. Garcia is a stroke further behind, while Colin Montgomerie is one of four players three back.

For a time, it looked as if Garcia, who birdied the first three holes, would take a vice-like grip on the tournament. "I thought he was going to run away with it when he started out like that," admitted Parnevik, his playing partner. But the two players stumbled around the course thereafter and, after signing for respective 71s, were more than mildly happy to be still in the hunt.

Although conditions were near perfect, with the sun's rays glistening off the lake and not a breath of wind, only two players managed to avoid a bogey. One of them was Lanner, who had a 66 to jump back into the picture; the other was Westwood, now fully recovered from the shoulder injury that cropped up early in April and has seen him go three months without a tournament victory.

But Monty's assertions that this year's tournament is little more than "a putting competition" drew the Englishman's ire. "He should look at my putting stats," said Westwood, placed first in greens-in-regulation after three rounds but only 49th in the putting statistics.

Despite some concern about the blade, Westwood asserts that his overall game has never been better. "Tee-to-green, it has never been as good," he claimed. "I've got a far greater variety of shots than I've ever had. All I need is for some more putts to drop."

It's indicative of the new generation in European golf, of whom Westwood, at 25, could justly claim to be the leader - even if he remarked: "I'm a granddad compared to Sergio!" - that one of those in pursuit is Welshman discovery Park.

A month ago, he didn't even have a European Tour card. But a play-off defeat in Morocco was followed by victory in the European Grand Prix in Slaley Hall. "I felt a little fatigued in Ireland last week," he confessed, but his third round 68 yesterday didn't contain an error until a three-putt on the last green.

"I think David just needed the big stage to bring out the best in his game," said Westwood, who played alongside him, while he observed of Bjorn, his Ryder Cup team-mate, that: "Thomas is simply a great player, one of the most aggressive putters I know - it's pretty scary at times watching him."

Bjorn hadn't made a cut since March until last week's Irish Open, but he continued his form with a 66 yesterday that moved him to within one shot of the leader. "Every one goes through a bad spell, it is just that mine went on a little too long," he said. "I've worked hard, and I've bounced back. I believe I belong in the top 10 players on the European Tour." The Dane was one of no fewer than six players who took the lead at one stage of play yesterday - and a "disappointing" three-putt on the short 17th for a bogey cost him a share of the overnight lead. "My aim was to bring myself into contention, and I've done that. I've shot seven solid rounds in a row and that is a good way to go into next week's British Open," he added.

The race for this particular title may be wide open, but yesterday proved to be a poor day for the two Irish survivors in the field. Des Smyth, who shot the low score of the second round with a 64, finished eight shots worse off with a 72 for three-under-par 210.

"Nothing happened. I got off on the back foot with a bogey at the first and was just defending my wicket after that. That's often the case in golf after you shoot a low round. I just hope to go low in the final round before heading off to Carnoustie," said Smyth.

For Darren Clarke, it was an even more miserable day. The Ulsterman had problems with most areas of his game in compiling a 74 to finish on level par 213, and a three-putt on the bumpy final green pretty much summed up a frustrating four hours on the course.