SOUTH AFRICAN AIKEN LEADS SAD SPANISH OPEN BY TWO SHOTS

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Thomas Aiken holds a two-shot lead going into the final round of the Open de España, where the show went on amid all the tears shed for Seve Ballesteros - many of them inevitably by Jose Maria Olazábal
South African Aiken still leads at El Prat near Barcelona after a third round 72, but the whole day's play was inevitably overshadowed by the death of the five-time Major champion and three-time winner of his national title.
Flags were at half-mast, players wore black ribbons and a minute's silence in mid-afternoon was followed by a round of applause.
Olazábal had just finished a 75 by then after playing with Colin Montgomerie (73) - Ryder Cup captains both, but only one of them, of course, the man who with Ballesteros had formed the most formidable cup partnership in history.
"Olly was in floods of tears most of the day. He has lost an older brother almost," said Montgomerie, his own voice shaky with the emotion of the day.
Another Spaniard, Pablo Larrazábal, was dressed all in black as he continued his bid to put his name on a trophy that Ballesteros last lifted in 1995 - one that made him the only player in European Tour history to record 50 victories.
Aiken doubled his one-shot halfway lead by remaining eight under, but four players are now six under - Larrazábal (73), Dane Anders Hansen (69) and European Tour rookies Scott Jamieson from Glasgow and Romain Wattel from France. They both shot 72.
Nobody scored lower than Hansen and while the wind and pin placings had most to do with that, the sombre atmosphere probably played a part as well.
Olazábal and Miguel Angel Jiménez - vice-captain to Ballesteros at Valderrama in 1997 - embraced at the start of the day and again after the minute's silence.
They have been trying to win the Open de España since 1983 and their wait looks certain to go on. They are both three over.
Scott Jamieson is going well as the front-runner of the Scots contingent but
David Drysdale and Paul Lawrie are just outside the top 20 on one-under-par 215.
On his website, Paul wrote:
"I played awful on the front nine today (+2), then hit it really good but couldn't buy a putt on the back nine (-2)   to shoot level and finish the day one under for the tournament. It was quite a bit tougher today as there was more wind.
"It is very about Seve, I found out when I arrived at the course this morning as I didn't have the TV on this morning. He was my idol growing up. The first time I played with him I never slept the night before and was wetting myself on the first tee. He was a legend and an inspiration to so many people. RIP Seve."

 THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
208 Thomas Aiken (S Africa) 68 68 72.
210 Anders Hansen (Denmark) 69 72 69, Romain Wattel (France) 67 71 72, Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 66 72 72, Pablo Larrazabal (Spain) 67 70 73.
212 Gregory Havret (France) 71 72 69, Lorenzo Gagli (Italy) 71 71 70, Shane Lowry (Ireland) 69 73 70, David Horsey (England) 71 70 71.
Other Scots' scores:
215 David Drysdale 72 71 72, Paul Lawrie 72 71 72 (T22).
217 Colin Montgomerie 70 74 73 (T32).
218 Peter Whiteford 73 72 73 (T38).
221 Ritchie Ramsay 72 72 77 (T53).
222 George Murray 72 73 77 (T57).

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