WHITEFORD'S PAR THIRD ROUND DROPS
HIM DOWN THE MELBOURNE FIELD

Peter Whiteford, the only Scot in the field, matched the par of 72 in the third round of the Australian Masters but dropped down to a share of 42nd place on level par 216.

CHOPRA (only 23 putts) TAKES UP RUNNING
IN AUSTRALIAN MASTERS

FROM THE AUSTRALIAN PGA TOUR WEBSITE
Sweden's Daniel Chopra will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the MasterCard Masters at Huntingdale after a sublime putting performance helped him record a third-round 65 for 12-under-par 204.
Chopra carved up the Melbourne course with eight birdies and a bogey, but it was his work on the short stuff which proved the difference, as he had just 23 putts.
He leads Aaron Baddeley (69) and Kurt Barnes (65) on 205.
Chopra picked up consecutive birdies on four and five and nine and 10 before putting together three straight from the 14th after dropping a shot at the 12th. A birdie on seven, plus nine pars, made up his round.
"It was just one of those days, everything was going my way. I kept making putts. Everytime I had an opportunity to make a birdie I made it," he said.
Moving day lived up to its reputation with constant changes in the leaderboard during a perfect afternoon for golf on Melbourne's sand-belt. The course averaged over two shots better than the opening two days, but Baddeley and in particular overnight leader Robert Allenby did not cash in.
Baddeley's round was a mixed one, initially dropping a shot before picking up four shots in five holes around the bend to jump into the lead. He slipped on the 12th and 16th, but an eagle at the 14th kept him well in contention for his first gold jacket.
"I think on Sunday it will be important to get off to a nice start," the Victorian said. "To put the pressure on Dan. I've just got to focus on my game, that's all I have to worry about tomorrow."
Barnes made his move with five birdies in the space of eight holes from the fourth. He bogeyed the 13th, but then picked up shots on 14 and 16 and the 18 - the hardest hole on the course - to finish with a 65.
"I hit 15 greens today, and at the greens I missed, bar 13, I got it up and down," he said. "I made adjustments to the putter yesterday. It was a little bit lighter than I would have liked it, so I put some red tape on it and it worked today."
Rod Pampling is three shots off the pace on nine-under-par after a 67, which featured seven birdies plus two bogeys.
Allenby (73) was the only golfer in the top 35 not to break par. Allenby birdied the first, putting a gap between he and Baddeley initially, but lost ground with consecutive bogeys on 10 and 11. He birdied 14 but bogeyed 18 and has gone from a shot clear to four behind Chopra.
Joining him on that score are Stuart Appleby (68) and Englishman Richard Finch.
After a bogey at five, Appleby grabbed five birdies in seven holes around the bend, and moved to nine-under-par at the 17th. But like Allenby, he was left to rue a bogey at the last.
Finch recorded six birdies in his first 10 holes. Consecutive birdies on two and three, six and seven and nine and 10 and another at 15 had the 30-year-old at 10-under-par, but he double bogeyed the 16th and would sign for a 67.
Peter Lonard (68) and Rory McIlroy (70) are in a tie for eight on seven under, while back at six-under are trio Stephen Leaney (68), Anthony Summers (67) and Ewan Porter (67).

LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3 x 72)

204 Daniel Chopra (Swe) 69 70 65
205 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 70 66 69, Kurt Barnes (Aus) 69 71 65
207 Rodney Pampling (Aus) 69 71 67
208 Robert Allenby (Aus) 67 68 73, Richard Finch 70 71 67, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 69 71 68
209 Rory McIlroy 70 69 70, Peter Lonard (Aus) 70 71 68
210 Ewan Porter (Aus) 70 73 67, Anthony Summers (Aus) 71 72 67, Stephen Leaney (Aus) 70 72 68
211 Rick Kulacz (Aus) 70 69 72, Michael Long (Nzl) 69 74 68, Scott Strange (Aus) 70 69 72, Matthew Zions (Aus) 70 70 71, Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 71 68 72, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 72 69 70, Peter O'Malley (Aus) 72 72 67
212 Damien McGrane 72 71 69, Andrew Tampion (Aus) 70 74 68, Shane Baxter (Aus) 72 70 70, Heath Reed (Aus) 73 71 68, Adam Crawford (Aus) 72 69 71
213 Matthew Ecob (Aus) 70 75 68, John Senden (Aus) 73 69 71, Robert Dinwiddie 74 71 68, Peter Senior (Aus) 72 70 71, Ross McGowan 74 71 68
214 Chris Downes (Aus) 72 72 70, Adam Bland (Aus) 75 70 69, Peter Baker 68 72 74, Simon Furneaux (Aus) 70 71 73, Richard Green (Aus) 72 73 69, Steven Jeffress (Aus) 73 72 69, Dave Horsey 77 65 72
215 Aaron Black (Aus) 70 72 73, Alexander Noren (Swe) 72 72 71, Martin Erlandsson (Swe) 73 72 70, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 74 70 71, Marcus Cain (Aus) 75 70 70
216 Luke Hickmott (Aus) 70 71 75, Peter Whiteford 73 71 72, Simon Khan 75 69 72, Michael Wright (Aus) 74 71 71, Josh Carmichael (Aus) 72 70 74, Michael Curtain (Aus) 74 71 71, David Bransdon (Aus) 79 66 71, Terry Price (Aus) 72 72 72, Paul Sheehan (Aus) 72 73 71
217 Scott Laycock (Aus) 75 70 72, Didier De Vooght (Bel) 74 70 73, Tim Wood (Aus) 71 73 73, Rhys Davies 70 75 72, Nick Flanagan (Aus) 70 73 74, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 68 75 74, Peter Wilson (Aus) 72 73 72, Edward Rush 71 73 73
218 Paul Marantz (Aus) 69 75 74, Paul Spargo (Aus) 71 72 75, Mahal Pearce (Nzl) 71 74 73, Anthony Brown (Aus) 74 71 73, Peter Fowler (Aus) 74 71 73, Ashley Hall (Aus) 77 68 73
220 Alistair Presnell (Aus) 71 70 79, Ryan Hammond (Aus) 74 70 76, Stuart Manley 71 73 76
221 Jarrod Moseley (Aus) 74 71 76