Todd Hamilton leads going into final round
One year on from the shock victory by Ben Curtis at Sandwich, another little-known American leads the British Open championship with 18 holes to go.
After a best-of-the-day 68 in the third round at Troon today, 38-year-old Todd Hamilton is eight under par and a stroke ahead of Ernie Els, the 2002 winner who has a chance tomorrow to end Tiger Woods’ five-year reign as world number one.
Not if Woods can help it, though. He fought his way up from 17th into a tie for seventh with a 68 and is only four shots behind.
Colin Montgomerie has five to make up after bogeying the 18th for the second day running – he was round in a battling, but ultimately disappointing 72 – and also involved in the race for the claret jug are the two players who fought it out for the United States Open last month, Retief Goosen and Phil Mickelson.
They are locked together in third place at six under along with France’s Thomas Levet, with England’s Barry Lane one further back.
Both Levet and Lane, however, walked off knowing it could have been them and not Hamilton on centre stage.
Levetcharged into a two-stroke lead over the front nine.
But then came a double bogey six at the 11th – he missed the green and three-putted – and a a bogey six on the long 16th, where he took two to get out of a greenside bunker.
Lane, the 44-year-old who had his first win for 10 years at the British Masters in May and is still only 128th in the world, burst into the spotlight with three birdies in four holes from the 12th.
He shared top spot with Hamilton as a result, but the former Ryder Cup player then double-bogeyed the short 17th, chipping right over the green, and dropped another at the last.
Hamilton is playing his fourth British Open whereas Curtis was playing his first and he is 56th in the world whereas Curtis was 396th.
Meanwhile Darren Clarke lies is tied for 23rd place on one over after his 73 today.
Paul McGinley is tied for 66th place as he shot a 75 to leave him seven over par.
