Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson, two ahead after his opening 64 and six clear after 11 holes of his second round yesterday morning, now finds himself doing the chasing after a real rollercoaster day that ended with him bogeying the 12th hole of his third round.

Dane Anders Hansen is six shots back in third place, while defending champion Colin Montgomerie is not only 11 adrift, but also in danger of being fined after his temper boiled over during a morning 74.

After running up a double bogey seven on the long fourth and having bogeys at the sixth and eighth the 40-year-old Scot – joint holder of the title after his play-off with Bernhard Langer was halted by bad light last year – could not hide his frustration when an 18-foot birdie putt lipped out on the ninth.

He tapped in for par, then stormed off the green in a fury, playing partner Thomas Bjorn even giving him a little wave as he went, and threw his ball onto a cart path.

As it rebounded off the concrete it could easily have hit a window of a nearby apartment building, but Montgomerie did not break stride and was already close to the 10th tee nearly 100 yards away when Bjorn and Brian Davis, the other member of the group, holed out.

And this in the week when the new Rules of Golf placed a greater emphasis on etiquette.

“The overriding principle,” it states in the very first paragraph of the rules, “is that consideration should be shown to others on the course at all times.

“All players should conduct themselves in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesy and sportsmanship at all times, irrespective of how competitive they may be,” the rules continue. “This is the spirit of the game.”

Later on the section on “consideration for other players” adds: “Players should remain on or close to the putting green until all players in the group have holed out.”

After his round Montgomerie was asked about letting off steam in such a way.

He was in a rush to have lunch before teeing off in the third round 30 minutes later, but commented: “I’d just had my fourth lip-out in a row and I am competitive. If I don’t have steam I would not be competitive and would not be as successful as I have been.

“So I’m glad I have it.”

From January 1 there is even the punishment of disqualification for a serious breach of etiquette and even now, under the European tour’s code of behaviour, Montgomerie could be disciplined for not following “normally accepted standards of courtesy and golf etiquette”.