The battle to be European number one could be as close as the American presidential election. Leader Darren Clarke opened the door by managing only a two-over-par 74 in the third round of the American Express world championship at Valderrama this afternoon.
Closest challenger Lee Westwood took advantage with a 69 and Colin Montgomerie, winner of the Order of Merit for the last seven seasons, was still not out of the running for the victory he must achieve to stand any chance.
Clarke, £63,000 ahead of Westwood, birdied the third, but came to grief on the inward half with bogeys at the 11th, 13th and 14th, slipping to 30th overall. Meanwhile Montgomerie, who shot up from 47th to 11th with his superb 67 yesterday, picked up shots on the fourth and seventh, the two par fives on the front nine, but a bogey at the 14th saw him slip to joint 10th on three under.
Westwood climbed from 22nd to eighth, but was disappointed not to be even higher after bunkering his approach to the last and dropping only his second shot of the day. Needing at worst a top-eight finish, the 27-year-old from Worksop birdied the first two holes and after a bogey on the short sixth pitched in for an eagle at the next and then, from the trees, birdied the eighth.
When he made a 10-footer for another birdie at the short 15th he was in position to deny Clarke the crown. But the closing bogey took the edge off his day's work.
Meanwhile, top spot in the contest for the million-dollar first prize is now held by Japan's Hidemichi Tanaka at nine under, who started the tournament wanting Tiger Woods' autograph and could end it taking his title. Zimbabwe's Nick Price, two ahead overnight, was caught by another former Open champion in Mark Calcavecchia, as well as Maori Michael Campbell. Price, who shot a nightmare 74, now sits tied for fourth place alongside World number one Tiger Woods who had a round of 69.
Among the players Woods overtook was Dubliner Padraig Harrington. He was third at halfway, but took 37 for the outward half and then double-bogeyed the 10th to be all the way back on three under. Harrington recovered some lost ground with a birdie on the 11th and 17th holes to finish on five under, tied in sixth place.
Filed by Seán Folan
SECOND ROUND LEADERBOARD
H Tanaka - 9
M Weir - 8
M Calcavecchia - 8
T Woods - 7
N Price - 7
D Waldorf - 5
P Harrington - 5
M Campbell - 4
B May - 4
V Singh - 4
L Westwood - 4
ALSO
P McGinley + 1
D Clarke + 2
