While others struggled in the conditions – including Order of Merit title rivals Retief Goosen and Padraig Harrington – Montgomerie managed an outward 34 after coming home in 32 yesterday.

Cabrera, four clear overnight, bogeyed the third, fifth and seventh.

Only seven of the 65-strong field were under par as the Costa del Sol course took its usual toll.

Justin Rose and Welshman Bradley Dredge shared third place on two under at the turn, while on one under were Ryder Cup pair Phillip Price and Bernhard Langer and also Swede Fredrik Jacobson.

Among those to crash badly were pre-tournament favourite Sergio Garcia and Robert Karlsson, who were in a tie for second place at halfway with Montgomerie and Dredge.

Garcia ran up a quadruple bogey nine on the long fourth, having to accept a penalty drop after his ball in the trees moved as he was clearing debris away from it, and then going into water.

Karlsson had triple bogeys at both the second and fourth.

Harrington suffered water torture to leave his hopes of winning the money list hanging by a thread.

The Ryder Cup Irishman went into lakes on both the 10th and 17th holes as he managed only a third round 74 and 11 over aggregate of 224.

Although Retief Goosen, whom he trails by less than €23,000, managed only a 78 and was 12 over, Harrington knew he needed to be in a better position in the tournament to capitalise.

As he went to lunch Harrington was down in a share of 48th spot. Even if Goosen finishes last the Dubliner has to be 27th to earn enough to overtake him.

The conditions made it likely Harrington would climb several places by the end of the afternoon, but he said: “I obviously need to improve substantially.

“Hopefully it will be a different day tomorrow. I hit a few ropey shots out there, although the course was tough.

“I could have done a little bit better. If you are going well you can handle the wind.”

Harrington birdied the fourth and fifth, but they were sandwiched between two bogey fours and after failing to get up and down from sand at the ninth for the second day running, he carved his drive on the next into water.

That followed the arrival of a rules official to tell him and partner Joakim Haeggman to try to speed up, but Harrington refused to blame that for his lapse in concentration on the tee.

He came back with a birdie down the long 11th, but after tangling with the trees at the 16th and bogeying again he pulled his second to the 17th left and his eight-iron third caught the bank in front of the green and rolled into the drink.

“The wind must have got up” was his only explanation afterwards.

Harrington finished the Italian Open with a 63 last weekend and said: “That’s possible again. I would say I wasn’t playing or putting well enough today to do it, but that’s not to say I won’t be tomorrow.”

After his second worse score of the year Goosen said: “I definitely didn’t expect to play this badly and still be in the position I am.

“If he shoots a good round and I shoot a bad one he will win it. If he does I will take my hat off and say well done. If I do it I will consider myself lucky.

“I’m looking forward to the last round – to get it over and done with. I’m playing badly and that’s disappointing in the last event of the year.

“I didn’t do anything – I didn’t make any putts and didn’t hit any good shots.”