SPANISH OPEN THIRD-ROUND NEWS

Two double bogeys knock

John Daly down the field

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Two double bogeys in today's third round destroyed any hopes John Daly had of a top 10 finish on his return to competitive golf this week.
The former US Open and Open champion, pictured right, out since December and still serving a six-month US Tour ban imposed after he was put in jail to sober up last October, fell deep into the pack with a third round 74 at the Spanish Open in sunny Girona.
It was all looking so much better for the controversial 43-year-old American, down from 20 to 16 stones after lap-band stomach surgery in February, when he went to the turn in 34 to stand four under.
That was still nine adrift of Frenchman Thomas Levet at the time, but Daly then took 5 at the short 11th and a 7 on the 492yd par-5 15th.
"First an eight-iron plugged under the lip of a bunker and in trying to get it out the ball popped up and buried again," said the American. "Then on 15 I flushed a five-iron from the rough, but it caught a tree.
"Other than that it was pretty damn good. I love the way I am swinging - I'm hitting it solid and I've made only three bad swings, which is good coming back. I'm just not making any putts and I've got to get that sorted out."
Daly, down at 788th in the world and in Europe for the next month, had to settle for a level par aggregate of 216 with Sunday's final round to come.
Meanwhile, Dane Soren Hansen reduced Levet's lead to one with a birdie at the long third and then saved par on the next after going over the green into sand.
They were 13 under and 12 under respectively, while joint third were defending champion Peter Lawrie and Spaniard Jose Manuel Lara on 10 under.
Lara birdied five of the first seven holes, while Dubliner Lawrie, trying to become the first player since Max Faulkner in 1953 to retain the title, resumed with five successive pars.
EARLY THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
209 Niclas Fasth (Swe) 75 69 65
210 Juan Francisco Sarasti (Spa) 73 69 68
211 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 69 74 68, Estanislao Goya (Arg) 75 69 67
212 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 68 74 70, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 74 68, Jordi Garcia Pinto (Spa) 73 71 68, David Lynn 69 73 70
213 Iain Pyman 68 76 69, Raul Quiros (Spa) 68 75 70
214 Carlos Del Moral (Spa) 73 71 70, Steve Webster 74 68 72, Robert Rock 73 70 71, David Horsey 72 70 72, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 71 72
215 Matthew Millar (Aus) 69 75 71, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (Spa) 74 69 72, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 69 74 72, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 70 73 72, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 73 71 71
216 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 72 70 74, Ake Nilsson (Rsa) 70 73 73, Jan Are Larsen (Nor) 67 76 73, Phillip Price 73 71 72, John Daly (USA) 70 72 74, James Kamte (Rsa) 73 71 72, Miles Tunnicliff 72 70 74, Bradley Dredge 72 71 73
217 Steven O'Hara 72 72 73
218 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 68 75 75, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 71 71 76
219 Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 71 71 77
221 Gary Murphy 70 74 77
222 Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 72 72 78
223 Manuel Quiros (Spa) 69 74 80
207 Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 71 70 66 209 Niclas Fasth (Swe) 75 69 65
210 Juan francisco Sarasti (Spa) 73 69 68, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 66 75 69
211 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 69 74 68, Estanislao Goya (Arg) 75 69 67, Mark Foster 69 72 70
212 Jose-Filipe Lima (Por) 68 74 70, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 74 68, Jordi Garcia pinto (Spa) 73 71 68, David Lynn 69 73 70
213 Iain Pyman 68 76 69, Raul Quiros (Spa) 68 75 70
214 Carlos Del Moral (Spa) 73 71 70, Steve Webster 74 68 72, Robert Rock 73 70 71, David Horsey 72 70 72, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 71 71 72
215 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 69 72 74, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (Spa) 74 69 72, Pelle Edberg (Swe) 69 74 72, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 73 71 71, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 71 70 74, Matthew Millar (Aus) 69 75 71, Oskar Henningsson (Swe) 70 73 72, Ross McGowan 71 71 73
216 Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (Fra) 72 70 74, Ake Nilsson (Rsa) 70 73 73, Jan Are Larsen (Nor) 67 76 73, Phillip Price 73 71 72, John Daly (USA) 70 72 74, James Kamte (Rsa) 73 71 72, Miles Tunnicliff 72 70 74, Bradley Dredge 72 71 73
217 Callum Macaulay 65 76 76, Steven O'Hara 72 72 73
218 Daniel Vancsik (Arg) 68 75 75, Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) 71 71 76
219 Stephen Gallacher 71 70 78, Alessandro Tadini (Ita) 71 71 77
221 Gary Murphy 70 74 77
222 Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 72 72 78
223 Manuel Quiros (Spa) 69 74 80