Padraig Harrington is just a single shot off the lead at the Senior Open Championship after a fine level-par 71 in blustery conditions at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club.
Starting on one-over par, the Dubliner had dropped three more shots by the turn but bounced back with birdies on 12 and 14.
Remarkably, for the second day in a row, he double-bogeyed the par-four 16 and then eagled the par-five 18th.
With the weather causing havoc, most players were falling back as their rounds progressed, but a stunning approach at 18 from Germany's Alex Cejka saw him birdie to take the outright lead going into the final round on level par - but even that only led to a round of 74.
Nobody broke par on Saturday, marking the first round in which that has happened on either the PGA Tour or Champions Tour since the 2008 Open Championship. Harrington won that event.
Overnight leader Steven Alker is one of three other players a shot off Cejka with the New Zealand player heartening the crowd at the Welsh venue with a hole in one at the par-three 15th,
The crowd loved it as soon as his ball left the tee, and they read it well with the ball taking a few hops and rolling in on the right side. Alker also birdied the last for a round of 76, his card also containing seven bogeys and a double bogey.
Former world number one Vijay Singh is also in that group with the Fijian digging in for a 73. After eight holes, Singh was three under for his round, but a double bogey, four bogeys and a closing birdie would follow as the wind gusted strongly.
England's Philip Archer is also in joint second after a fine 71. Like most, his round finished with a birdie on 18.
Darren Clarke carded a 73 to sit on seven over, a score that improved as the day progressed. A double bogey at the ninth was the low point of the round, but by the end of play he was just seven shots off the lead.
Additional reporting: Reuters
