Ryder Cup player Padraig Harrington lost the Madrid Open lead to Ian Poulter today after a roller-coaster third round.
The Dubliner’s mixture of two early double-bogeys, three bogeys and an eagle and five birdies, giving him a round of 72, looked to have ended his chances of winning before next week's Ryder Cup match with the United States.
Poulter, who was in Europe's record-making 2004 Ryder Cup side, carved an eight-under-par 64 to lead the field by four strokes on 19-under-par 197.
Harrington trailing seven shots behind, has not given up hope, however, believing a record round is possible on Madrid's La Moraleja II course.
‘Now I'm going to need something special. But if ever there was ever a European Tour course you could shoot a 59 on, this is it,’ said Harrington after plummeting from first to seventh place.
Poulter, whose last-ditch bid to catch Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam's notice for a wildcard in the BMW International two weeks ago ended in a missed cut, began slowly but ran up eight birdies in his last 13 holes.
The Englishman has a double incentive - to try to win for the first time in two years, and to climb back up the world rankings.
‘I'm 53rd in the world at the moment and I want to play in the Amex (WGC American Express Championship) in two weeks' time, so I'm looking to win and looking to get back into the top 50, so I can do so,’ Poulter told reporters.
Poulter heads 2003 Madrid Open winner Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina (67), Harrington's co-overnight leader Gary Orr of Scotland (70) and Swede Christian Nilsson (68) a further stroke back.
Last year's Madrid Open winner Raphael Jacquelin of France (67) and Swede Joakim Backstrom (67) are on 13 under.
There were mixed fortunes for the other two of Woosnam's team in Madrid, Darren Clarke and Jose Maria Olazabal.
Olazabal won a car for a hole in one during his round of 67 but was disappointed with his driving and the Spaniard said he had ‘a lot of work to do to get it right’, before taking on the Americans.
Olazabal is 11 shots off the lead, with Clarke one further back after a 69. The Northern Irishman said he was still disappointed with his putting.
