MAHAN AND BADDELEY TIED FOR LEAD IN FEDEX CUP FINALE

FROM THE GOLF.COM WEBSITE
ATLANTA (AP) — The cup is close enough now for Hunter Mahan and Aaron Baddeley to seriously consider how much it's worth to them.
Even if they're not thinking about the same cup.
Baddeley knew when he showed up at the Tour Championship that it was his last chance to convince captain Greg Norman that he was worth a spot on the Presidents Cup team in his native Melbourne.
He made quite an impression Saturday at East Lake, Atlanta, running off four straight birdies on the back nine for a 6-under 64 and a share of the lead.
"That's a huge goal of mine, to make that team and play down in Melbourne," Baddeley said. "It was definitely on the forefront of my mind to be able to knuckle down, play well this week and show Greg that I've got some form."
Mahan is No. 21 in the FedEx Cup, and after he narrowly wrapped up a spot on the U.S. team, said last week he looked forward to the Tour Championship and "not having to worry about 10 things."
Now he's got 10 million things to think about.
Of the top five players in the FedEx Cup, only Luke Donald remains in serious contention. That means Mahan has a shot at the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus if he were to win the Tour Championship (and its "paltry" $1.44 million pay-off).
"I honestly didn't think that was a possibility," Mahan said after holing a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 66.
Mahan and Baddeley are at 9-under 201.
Jason Day recovered from a ragged start and had a 69, leaving him only two shots back. The 23-year-old Australian was tied with K.J. Choi, who also started poorly and shot 70.
Donald, the world No. 1 who still can add his name to the prestigious list of players to have captured the FedEx Cup, had a 70 and was only three shots behind.
Bill Haas, who had a chance to make the Presidents Cup team last week until a 42 on the back nine at Cog Hill, was among those tied for the lead until the final two holes. He went bunker-to-bunker on the 17th and had to scramble for bogey, and then hit his tee shot on the 18th into the crowd, missed a 4-foot putt and made double bogey.
Haas was followed by his father, Jay Haas, an assistant captain for the Presidents Cup. He had to settle for a 69 and was so steamed that he refused requests for post-round interviews.
Ten players were separated by five shots - the margin by which Baddeley trailed going into the third round - and the group includes Phil Mickelson, who won this event two years ago. He had a 67 and was only four shots behind.
"I feel like the first three rounds, I had three possibilities of 63, 64 that I turned into 68, 69," Mickelson said. "If I can just not do that and keep it where I feel the round should be, I think I can make a run tomorrow."
The pressure is building on so many fronts going into Sunday, and while it's easy to focus on the $10 million to the winner of the FedEx Cup - $9 million of that in cash - for some it's a cup that doesn't pay anything.
Baddeley, a winner at Riviera early in the year, grew up in Melbourne and desperately wants to be part of his first Presidents Cup team at Royal Melbourne. He is among three Australians - Robert Allenby and John Senden are the others - under consideration for two of Norman's picks. They will be announced Tuesday.
Baddeley spoke to Norman at the start of the week and knew the Shark would be watching. It didn't make Baddeley nervous, it made him determined.
"For me, it's a motivator," Baddeley said. "I want to play well. I want to be on that team, so I knew I had to play well this week. It's time to bear down. I got some good work done on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I was ready for Thursday."
Most of that practice time was spent on putting. Baddeley is among the best in golf, though he felt something was missing. He worked on getting the club more balanced, paying particular attention to his right hand on the putter. He seems to have figured it out, making a 35-foot putt on No. 7, and a pair of 20-footers on the 14th and 15th.
The rest of his game was sharp, too. From 176 yards in a fairway bunker on the 13th, he stuffed a 7-iron to inside 10 feet for yet another birdie.
Mahan also got in some late practice, mainly trying to get the club more square at impact because of a change in his release since working with Sean Foley. He got into the picture by hitting his approach on the eighth to inside a foot, and then drilling a fairway metal from 274 yards to 20 feet for an eagle on No. 9.
Throughout the day, the projections for who might win the FedEx Cup were like watching the stock market. As many as five players moved to the top, although nothing really matters until Sunday.
Webb Simpson is No. 1 on the list, and he finished with a birdie on the 18th to get into a tie for 15th. If he were to finish in the top 12, he could still claim the $10 million even if Mahan wins the Tour Championship.
"It's kind of weird," Mahan said. "I could still win - I could play flawless golf tomorrow, win by five - and finish fifth in FedEx Cup points. I could finish 10th in FedEx Cup points. It's one of those things where you can't even worry about it just because you can't do the maths that fast."
Adam Scott remains hopeful, at least of the Tour Championship. He was in the lead until a 39 on the back nine, compounded by a three-putt double bogey on the 14th. He wound up with a 74 and was five shots behind.
"Very disappointing," Scott said. "Going to come tomorrow and have the round of my life."
THIRD ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 210 (3x70)201 Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 68 6 64, Hunter Mahan (US) 67 68 66.
203 Jason Day (Australia) 67 67 69, K J Choi (S Korea) 68 65 70.
204 Bill Haas (US) 68 67 69, Luke Donald (England) 66 68 70.
205 Phil Mickelson (US) 68 70 67, Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 70 67 68.
206 Charles Howell III (US) 67 71 68, Adam Scott (Australia) 67 65 74.
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DAVID LAW THREE SHOTS BEHIND LEADER IN TURKISH AMATEUR

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com
Scottish amateur champion David Law is lying in fifth place in a field of 61 players with the final round to be played on Sunday in the 10th Turkish men's open amateur international championship at Antalya Golf Club.
Aberdonian Law, pictured, has had rounds of 70, 72 and 68 for a three-under-par tally of 210 over the par-71 Sultan's Course.
He is three shots behind the joint leaders after 54 holes, Switzerland's Edouard Amacher (68-67-72) and Germany's Marcel Sneider (68-68-71).
In all there are eight Scots in the field as the SGU look ahead to the defence of the Eisenhower Trophy - the men's world amateur team championship - over this Turkish course 12 months from now.
LEADERBOARD
Par 213 (3x71)
206 Edouard Amachar (Switzerland) 68 67 72, Marcel Sneider (Germany) 68 68 71.
208 Daan Huizing (Netgherlands) 75 66 67.
209 Mathieu Decottignies-Lafon (France) 72 71 66.
210 David Law (Hazlehead) 70 72 68.
OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
216 Brian Soutar (Leven Golfing Society) 71 70 75, Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 72 70 74 (T14).
219 James White (Lundin) 74 73 72 (T26.
220 Scott Crichton (Aberdour) 77 70 73 (T31).
225 Paul Shields (Kirkhill) 77 75 73 (44th).
227 Connor O'Neil 78 73 76 (T46).
228 Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 79 76 73 (T52)
Field of 61 players.

Kemnay's Chris Brown wins card play-off for Sandy Pipey Y M pro-am

Chris Brown, 25,  assistant professional at Kemnay Golf Club where his brother David, 33, is the PGA club pro, and his team came out on top in a card play-off against three other teams who matched their net total of six-under-par 134 in the Sandy Pipey Young Masters' pro-am at Royal Dornoch today.
The other pros in the card play-off were Ross Dixon (Renaisssance Club), Neil Fenton (Dunbar) and Scott Herald (Adam Hunter Golf).
Only a shot behind on 135 were the teams led by Ross McConnachie (Peterculter), Gary Dingwall (Royal Dornoch), Andrew McIntyre (Ranfurly Castle) and Sean Thompson (Renaissance).
Top honours in the Clubgolf pro-am for junior teams went to assistant pro Christopher McMaster (Carnoustie) with a team of Royal Dornoch juniors. They had a four-under-par net score of 136, winning by a shot from the team led by Gordon Hillson (Dunbar).

SCOREBOARDS

SANDY PIPER YOUNG MASTERS' PRO-AM
Royal Dornoch GC
134 Chris Brown (Kemnay) (won card play-off), Ross Dixon (Renaissance Club), Neil Fenwick (Dunbar), Scott Herald (Adam Hunter Golf).
135 Ross McConnachie (Peterculter), Gary Dingwall (Royal Dornoch), Andrew McIntyre (Ranfurly Castle), Sean Thompson (Renaissance Club).
136 Malcolm Isaacs (Nairn Dunbar).
137 Craig Knowles (Panmure), Michael Patterson (Kilmacolm).
138 Shaun Clark (Elie Sports Centre), Andrew Skinner (Royal Dornoch).
141 Michael Mackenzie (Edzell).
142 Greg Mcain (Gamola Golf), Stuart Williamson (West Kilbride).
143 Joseph McBrearty (Haggs Castle).
145 Fraser Clarke (Newmachar), Terry Mathieson (Murcar Links), Andrew Rollo (Moray).
147 Stuart Morrison (Tain), Andrew Munro (Musselburgh).
150 Matthew Burt (Helensburgh).
152 Joel Hopwood (Carnegie Club).
CLUBGOLF JUNIORS' PRO-AM
Royal Dornoch GC
136 Christopher McMaster (Carnoustie) £40.
137 Gordon Hillson (Dunbar) £40.
144 Graham Mackay (Edinburgh) £30.
145 Daniel Wood (Duns) £30.
146 Ross Macleod (Glasgow) £30.
149 Nikki Chfristie (Carnoustie) £30.

QUROS BEATS SMYTH IN PLAY-OFF FOR CANNES SENIOR MASTERS

By STEVE TODD
European Seniors Tou Press Officer
Spaniard Juan Quiros defeated Irishman Des Smyth on the second hole of a play-off in the Cannes Mougins Masters to capture his first European Senior Tour title in three seasons after a dramatic final day in the south of France.
Quiros, pictured with trophy by courtesy of Getty Images (c),  had started the day three shots behind overnight leader Mike Harwood but fired a bogey free closing round of three under par 69 to finish on ten under par 206 at Cannes Mougins.
Smyth had earlier set the clubhouse target after a birdie on the last hole saw the former Ryder Cup player sign for a five under par round of 67.
Both players then missed birdie chances on the first extra hole, Smyth shaving the cup from eight foot while Quiros pushed his five footer down the right hand side. Smyth suffered the same fate when they went back down the 18th a second time, agonisingly missing a tricky left-to-right five footer, but Quiros made no mistake with his four foot birdie putt to claim his fourth Senior Tour victory and first since the 2008 Irish Seniors Open.
Coincidentally that last victory also came at Smyth’s expense, when he produced a stunning 132ft wedge approach shot to 18inches to set up a decisive birdie and Quiros once again emerged victorious in France, having previously won the Open de France Senior de Divonne in 2007.
“The play-off is a lottery and thankfully the lottery was mine today,” said Quiros. “I remember when I won the Irish Senior Open and beat Des too. I hit a great shot that day but to win a play-off is very special.
“I am very happy to win. I played very well over the three rounds and I didn’t make a bogey today. It feels great to win again.”
Quiros, who moves up from 17th to eighth on the Senior Tour Order of Merit, had previously finished inside the top ten on four occasions this season and had only been outside the top 20 four times in 14 appearances.
“I had said to my family and my sponsor that I’ve played well this year and last year but I’ve just not putted very well, said the 55 year old. “My son told me if kept on playing as I have been I would win before the end of the year and he was right. The difference today was that I holed some putts.”
Smyth, who had been struggling with an arm injury, was disappointed not to win his second title of 2011 after claiming the Van Lanschot Senior Open in June but was delighted with his overall performance.
He said: “With play-offs somebody has to win and we both played great golf, even in the play-off. I was very happy with the way I played, shooting 67 and birdieing the last to give myself a chance to win.
“I played the play-off holes well but just didn’t make the putts. I had it into eight and five feet and missed both of those, that is what makes the difference.
“I said to Juan I think he has my number as that’s two times I’ve been the recipient when he has won. He’s a great player though and I’m pleased for him.”
Former Senior Open Champion Bruce Vaughan birdied the last to finish third on nine under par, while defending champion Marc Farry, the co-organiser of the tournament, finished a further shot back in a share of fourth with Angel Franco of Paraguay and Australian Peter Fowler.
Senior Tour Order of Merit leader Fowler fired an impressive 65 to strengthen his bid for the John Jacobs Trophy, while compatriot Harwood, who took a two stroke lead into the final round, carded a three over par 75 to finish in a share of seventh place on seven under par.
Fowler’s nearest rival in the Order of Merit Englishman Barry Lane eagled the 16th hole to sign for a 70 and finish in a share of 16th place on four under par, meaning Fowler extends his lead to €21,330. Lane was level with former Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam, who posted an impressive 67.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)

206 J Quiros (Esp) 69 68 69, D Smyth (Irl) 69 70 67 (Quiros won play-off at second extra hole). 

207 B Vaughan (USA) 66 71 70,

208 A Franco (Par) 69 70 69, M Farry (Fra) 66 70 72, P Fowler (Aus) 72 71 65,

209 H Carbonetti (Arg) 68 68 73, R Davis (Aus) 72 67 70, M Harwood (Aus) 66 68 75,

210 R Drummond (Sco) 73 67 70, B Cameron (Eng) 70 70 70, G Wolstenholme (Eng) 74 67 69, J Pate (USA) 72 67 71,

211 D Merriman (Aus) 69 73 69, M Mouland (Wal) 71 68 72,

212 B Lane (Eng) 70 72 70, I Woosnam (Wal) 76 69 67, A Sowa (Arg) 70 70 72,

213 T Thelen (USA) 73 70 70, P Dugeny (Fra) 76 71 66,

214 C Rocca (Ita) 72 72 70,

215 A Oldcorn (Sco) 72 72 71, F Illouz (Fra) 70 69 76,

216 J Stuart (USA) 76 71 69, G Ryall (Eng) 70 77 69, M Belsham (Eng) 76 68 72, G Brand junior (Sco) 71 72 73, B Lincoln (RSA) 75 69 72, C Mason (Eng) 71 75 70, N Job (Eng) 72 74 70,

217 D Russell (Eng) 73 73 71, K Tomori (Jpn) 73 72 72, J Sallat (Fra) 72 72 73, J Gould (Eng) 76 69 72,

218 L Carbonetti (Arg) 72 69 77, B Smit (RSA) 73 74 71, A Sherborne (Eng) 73 73 72, J Bruner (USA) 76 76 66, N Ratcliffe (Aus) 70 72 76,

219 B Longmuir (Sco) 70 73 76, G Ralph (Eng) 73 72 74, J Harrison (Eng) 74 72 73, D Durnian (Eng) 72 74 73,

220 M Cunning (USA) 74 72 74,

221 D O'Sullivan (Irl) 75 68 78, M Moreno (Esp) 69 82 70, T Charnley (Eng) 75 74 72, P Mitchell (Eng) 72 75 74,

222 C Williams (RSA) 72 74 76,

223 G Cali (Ita) 74 75 74,

224 A Forsbrand (Swe) 75 72 77, S Torrance (Sco) 79 76 69,

226 A Fernandez (Chi) 76 72 78, G Brand (Eng) 74 77 75,

228 M Clayton (Aus) 72 79 77, K Spurgeon (Eng) 74 78 76,

231 P Dahlberg (Swe) 73 79 79,

233 M Miller (Sco) 79 76 78,

235 D Cambridge (Jam) 80 75 80,

238 A Garrido (Esp) 78 79 81,

THOMAS NORRET LEADS AUSTRIAN OPEN BY TWO SHOTS

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Thomas Norret holds a two-shot lead after three rounds of the Austrian Open presented by Lyoness, but plenty of players will fancy their chances going into Sunday's final round.
The Danish Qualifying School graduate carded a two-under-par 70 at Diamond Country Club to move to nine under for the week.
That was two better than his halfway co-leaders Robert Coles and Joost Luiten, as well as English pair Simon Wakefield and Kenneth Ferrie.
Norret was ahead from the first hole as he birdied and Coles, Luiten and Gaganjeet Bhullar all bogeyed.
A wild drive on the eighth forced him to take a drop and the 37 year old's subsequent bogey allowed Coles, who birdied the third and eighth, to take the lead.
Both men birdied the tenth and bogeyed the 13th, but while Nørret holed impressive birdie putts on the 15th and 17th, Coles dropped shots at the 15th and 18th.
Norret, who won his only Challenge Tour title nine years ago. said he felt relaxed for most of the day.
"I was nervous at the beginning of the round but then hit a great approach into the first and made birdie and that really calmed me down for the rest of the day and took the pressure off me," he said.
!The wind was a lot stronger today than yesterday so it was a tough golf course. I have been playing well for a while now and making a lot of cuts but just not doing much on the weekends. I have been putting well this week and keeping it all together so it is nice to get some forward momentum on a weekend.
"You have to put well here but I have been working hard with my mental coach and really trying to focus on enjoying myself out there.
"I just have to go out there tomorrow and try to repeat the feeling I had today, try to relax and enjoy it. It will be tougher to do that in the final round and I will definitely feel the pressure but that's why I have been doing all the work on the mental side of the game.
"I will definitely be talking to the mental coach tonight and hopefully we can get me over the winning line on Sunday."
Of the leading five, only Ferrie has won on The European Tour and he moved into contention with a joint best-of-the-day 65, highlighted by a birdie at the 15th after a tee shot to three feet.
"I am very pleased," said Ferrie. "I played well for the first two days and didn't get a lot out of it but finished my back nine yesterday well to get to a couple under and then came out today and picked up from where I left off."
Dutchman Luiten fought hard to remain in contention after dropping three shots in his first five holes, with a run of three birdies in four holes after the turn giving him a level par 72.
"Certainly not the start you are looking for but I started to hit it better and shot level par," said the 25 year old. "I am still up there going into tomorrow so everything is still open and I can still win from here."
Wakefield almost won this event in 2008 before sliding to sixth in the closing stages, but the Qualifying School winner gave himself a fantastic chance to atone that missed opportunity with a two under 70.
"I have a great desire to win on Tour for the first time but you can't let that cloud things and get carried away by that," he said. "You have to stick to the plan and routines and hope that it will be your week."
Coles' European Tour career goes back 15 years and over 300 events, although he almost won the Avantha Masters earlier this year.
"It wasn't good enough," he said. "I didn't hit it close enough and made some mistakes out there. Generally I couldn't get it close enough so it wasn't a good enough performance. It was tricky though. I am not disappointed with my position, two off the lead, but I just wish I had played a bit better.
"I really enjoy being up there and am getting used to the feeling. I am not doing it enough but you definitely learn every time that you are in these positions, even at my tender age."
Former amateur star Tom Lewis looks set to pick up a healthy cheque in his first event as a professional. A two under 70 lifted him into a share of 23rd.

THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
207 Thomas Norret (Denmark) 67 70 70.
209 Kenneth Ferrie (England) 72 70 67, Simon Wakefield (England) 73 66 70 Robert Coles (England) 72 65 72, Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 67 70 72.

SCOTS' SCORES
212 David Drysdale 73 70 69, Gary Orr 69 71 72 (T10).
213 Alastair Forsyth 74 69 70 (T17).
214 Lloyd Saltman 73 70 71 (T23)
217 Raymond Russell 74 71 72 (T43).
218 Marc Warren 70 73 75 (T46).

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VAN DER WALK IS FLYING DUTCHMAN ON ASIAN DEVELOPMENT TOUR

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOURKuala Lumpur: Guido Van Der Valk of Holland romped seven shots clear of the field after an impressive five-under-par 67 in the third round of the PGM-MIDF-KLGCC Classic today.
Bidding a first victory on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), the 31-year-old reeled in six birdies against a lone bogey at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club to put some daylight between him and second-placed Gerald Rosales of the Philippines, who returned a 71.
Japan’s Yosuke Tsukada fired a 70 to move to third position, nine back, while Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung returned a disappointing 74 for tied fourth place with American Jonathan Moore, the current ADT Order of Merit leader.
With the RM200,000 (approximately US$66,000) tournament being the final leg of the 2011 ADT season, the fight for promotion onto the elite Asian Tour intensified. Chinese Taipei’s Kao Shang-hung, currently third on the Merit list, stumbled to equal 20th place following a disappointing 79.
It left the door wide open for fourth-ranked Takafumi Kawane of Japan, who needs to finish at least in fourth position on his own on Sunday to overhaul Kao. The 29-year-old Kawane kept alive his hopes with a 77 for joint 11th position.
The day belonged to overnight leader Van Der Valk, who finished tied second at the ISPS Handa Singapore Classic on the Asian Tour earlier this month. He credited a new putting grip for his new-found confidence on the greens.
“I changed to the cross-handed grip and I’m more confident to make a stroke. I’ve always struck it well but when you have days with eight three putts, it’s not nice. Golf is more enjoyable now,” said the Manila-based Van Der Valk, who leads the tournament on eight-under-par 208.
He was four under through 10 holes with birdies on two, three, five and 10 before dropping his lone bogey at the par three 11th. But the Dutchman finished strongly with birdies on 17 and 18 to leave his rivals trailing in his wake.
“I’m not doing much wrong as I’ve been hitting a lot of fairways and greens. I’ll play smart golf tomorrow and take my chances when they come. I can’t be playing conservative golf,” he said.
Rosales was the opposite of playing partner Van Der Valk as the Filipino missed numerous close-range putts. “It was disappointing as I kept missing short putts. Guido is playing really well. I need the putts to drop to have any chance,” said Rosales.
Kao lamented fatigue for his poor day but insisted there was no pressure despite a priceless Asian Tour card being at stake on Sunday. “I’m tired as I’ve been playing in a few events,” said Kao, who won the Ballantine’s Taiwan Championship on the ADT last month.
“I know what Kawane needs to do and I know what I need to do. I’ll go out to do my best tomorrow.”
Kawane, playing in his second year in Asia, reckons he needs a 65 or 66 in the final round to break the top-three of the final Order of Merit. But with the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club playing tough, the Japanese knows he faces an uphill battle.
“Everything wasn’t good,” said Kawane. “It’s a tough golf course for me and the fast greens are difficult to read. I know I must finish in the top-four to have a chance. I must aim for a really low round.”
Initiated by the Asian Tour, which is the official sanctioning body for professional tournament golf in Asia, the ADT was launched last year with the objective of creating a viable platform for young and aspiring professionals to hone their game and skills before joining the established Asian Tour.
The PGM-MIDF-KLGCC Classic is the eighth and final leg this year which is three tournaments more than last year’s inaugural season.
THIRD-ROUND LEADERS
Par 216 (3x72)
208: Guido VAN DER VALK (HOL) 71-70-67
215: Gerald ROSALES (PHI) 74-70-71
217: Yosuke TSUKADA (JPN) 72-75-70
219: Jonathan MOORE (USA) 74-72-73, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 71-74-74
222: S. Siva Chandhran (MAS) 77-73-72, R. Nachimuthu (MAS) 75-73-74
223: Wittawat SAE-UNG (THA) 75-76-72, Pawin INGKHAPRADIT (THA) 77-70-76
224: Rashid ISMAIL (MAS) 73-78-73
225: John SHIN (CAN) 77-77-71, M. Sasidaran (MAS) 76-76-73, Michael MOORE (AUS) 77-74-74, Takafumi KAWANE (JPN) 74-74-77, Akhmal TARMIZEE (MAS) 73-74-78, Marlon DIZON (PHI) 73-73-79
226: Zurie HARUN (MAS) 74-79-73, T.J. KIM (KOR) 76-76-74

SCOTS NOT IN CONTENTION ON EUROPEAN CHALLENGE TOUR

CHALLLENGE TOUR REPORT
By SCOTT CROCKETT

European Tour Chief Press Officer
England’s Sam Little is within touching distance of back-to-back victories on the European Challenge Tour after moving into a share of the lead with Ireland’s Simon Thornton after the third round of the Golf Open Grand Toulouse.

The 36 year old Londoner captured the M2M Russian Challenge Cup in Moscow last weekend and continued to tap into a rich vein of form at Golf de Toulouse-Seilh in south west France, a third round 66 seeing him move to 13 under par 200 and into a share of pole position with Thornton who carded a 67.
However, it looks like the quest for the first Scottish winner on the 2011 European Challenge Tour will have to wait another week.
Stirling’s Craig Lee is the leading Scottish challenger in a share of 20th place on eight under par 205 while Glasgow’s Chris Doak shares 23rd spot on 206 and Banchory’s James Byrne, playing in his first professional event after his Walker Cup heroics of a fortnight ago, is in a share of 41st on 208.
Up ahead, though, the man of the moment is Little. The win in Russia moved him from 43rd on the Challenge Tour Rankings to sixth, virtually guaranteeing him a place in the top 20 at the end of the season and a return to The European Tour where he competed for six years from 2005, before losing his card at the end of the 2010 season.
But just like his beloved West Ham United who were relegated from the Barclays Premier League last year, Little is looking not simply to return to the big time at the first time of asking, but to do it in style.
“In all honesty I was a bit tired after last week and I did think about taking this week off,” said Little, who made his charge up the leaderboard thanks to three birdies in four holes from the 12th.
“But I realised I was playing well and I decided to knuckle down, travel to France and try and feed off the good feelings I had last week in Russia. Barring a disaster I know I’ve probably got my card back for next year but I want to finish as high in the Rankings as possible and, of course, have a go at winning it outright.
“I know Tommy (Fleetwood) has a bit of a lead at the top at the moment and will be hard to catch, but if I can produce a few good finishes, then you never know. This year has been hard for me especially with a young family. I had six years on Tour and I want to get back there – it’s where I want to be.”
Another man with designs on gaining a card for The European Tour at the end of the year is Irishman Thornton, who did just that at the Tour School Finals in 2009, but who handed it back at the end of 2010 after finishing 141st on The Race to Dubai.
The 34 year old former Irish Club Professional champion finished in a tie for third place in the big money Kazakhstan Open two weeks ago to help him move up to 25th place in the Rankings and he knows another big week this week will see him advance into the top 20.
“I’m not the type of player who can play four or five weeks in a row so when I did well in Kazakhstan it gave me the chance to miss Russia and concentrate on this week,” he said. “If I therefore can have a good week here, it means I can take next week off and then concentrate on the end of the season.”
Level par after ten holes of his third round, the Irishman looked far from leader material but he suddenly found his range on the Seilh venue’s greens and he rattled in birdie putts at the 11th, 12th, 15th and 16th.
“It was just the putting I was struggling with a bit,” he said. “I three putted both the fourth and the tenth for bogey but then I just managed to find the pace and the range and that helped me produce a strong finish which is great as I’m right in the mix now.”

Below the leading pair is a logjam of players who have all taken advantage of the idyllic scoring conditions on offer this week.

One shot behind on 12 under par 201 going into the final round are three players: overnight leader Matthew Baldwin (71), his fellow Englishman Gary Lockerbie (68) and Norway’s Espen Kofstad (66) while Frenchman Julien Quesne’s 69 moved him to sixth place on his own on 11 under par 202.

Completing the top ten on ten under par 203 are the English duo of Eddie Pepperell (66) and Matt Evans (67), Welshman Garry Houston (68) and Frenchman Christophe Brazillier (71).

THIRD ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 213 (3x71)
200 S Thornton (Irl) 66 67 67, S Little (Eng) 66 68 66

201 G Lockerbie (Eng) 69 64 68, M Baldwin (Eng) 67 63 71, E Kofstad (Nor) 65 70 66
202 J Quesne (Fra) 67 66 69
203 G Houston (Wal) 69 66 68, C Brazillier (Fra) 62 70 71, E Pepperell (Eng) 69 68 66, M Evans (Eng) 69 67 67
204 A Pavan (Ita) 70 69 65, O David (Fra) 69 65 70, P Archer (Eng) 69 68 67, D Perrier (Fra) 66 67 71, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 69 69 66, L Jensen (Den) 65 72 67, O Whiteley (Eng) 68 69 67, J Remesy (Fra) 69 71 64, A Schwartz (am) (Fra) 70 67 67
205 A Tadini (Ita) 69 70 66, L Canter (Eng) 70 68 67, C Lee (Sco) 68 70 67
206 T Ferreira (RSA) 71 65 70, A Marshall (Eng) 67 69 70, C Ford (Eng) 74 65 67, R Wingardh (Swe) 65 67 74, A Tampion (Aus) 70 69 67, C Doak (Sco) 69 67 70, V Riu (Fra) 68 65 73, B Parker (Eng) 65 71 70, F Delamontagne (Fra) 68 70 68, A Högberg (Swe) 73 67 66
207 J Bragulat (Esp) 70 67 70, B Ritthammer (Ger) 69 69 69, A Domingo (Esp) 69 68 70, N Meitinger (Ger) 67 68 72, M Southgate (Eng) 68 67 72, F Calmels (Fra) 69 68 70, C Russo (Fra) 69 69 69, J Lagergren (Swe) 68 67 72
208 C Gane (Eng) 69 69 70, D Brooks (Eng) 70 68 70, A Hansen (Den) 69 68 71, J Hepworth (Eng) 70 69 69, S Hutsby (Eng) 66 72 70, C Paisley (Eng) 69 71 68, J Byrne (Sco) 65 72 71, M Erlandsson (Swe) 68 70 70, J Heath (Eng) 72 65 71, E Chaudouet (Fra) 68 71 69,
209 A Snobeck (Fra) 71 69 69, J Van Der Vaart (Ned) 70 69 70, S Bebb (Wal) 74 66 69
210 P Del Grosso (Arg) 70 67 73, F Colombo (Ita) 73 67 70, B Chapellan (Fra) 72 66 72, M Delpodio (Ita) 73 67 70
211 A Bossert (Sui) 69 70 72, J Lima (Por) 68 72 71, I Giner (Esp) 71 68 72,
212 B Teilleria (Fra) 72 66 74, A Butterfield (Eng) 74 65 73, P Gustafsson (Swe) 73 67 72
213 N Kearney (Irl) 69 70 74
215 C Judlin (Fra) 72 66 77, N Lombardi (Ita) 67 72 76

MARUYAMON POISED TO WIN ASIA-PACIFIC PANASONIC OPEN

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOURShiga Prefecture, Japan. Japan’s Daisuke Maruyama fired a three-under-par 68 to stand on the brink of winning his second Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open title on Saturday.
Maruyama, who won the title in 2009, posted a three-day total of eight-under-par 205 to take a single shot lead over S.K. Ho of Korea who struggled with a 73 for a share of second place alongside Japan’s Michio Matsumura on 206.
South Africa’s Jbe Kruger carded a 72 for fourth place while Hiroyuki Fujita of Japan signed for a 70 to lie one back in fifth place at the ¥150,000,000 (approximately US$1.7 million) event jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
Maruyama, who started the day in equal fourth, dropped his first shot on his opening par-four first.
He quickly responded with birdies on the second and fifth hole before another bogey on the seventh hole set him back to even-par for his outward-nine.
The 40-year-old then charged back into contention by posting birdies on holes 10, 13 and 16 after the turn.
“I was trying to find my rhythm in the front-nine and thought that I could reach the turn in under-par as I wanted to keep the pressure on the leaders then,” said Maruyama.
“But my round really came to life in my back-nine where I was really feeling confident. I’m not going to think so much about my lead tomorrow. Instead I’m going to focus on what I’ve done today and hopefully I’ll win,” added the Japanese.
Overnight leader Ho was disappointed that he could not extend his lead after marking his card with four bogeys against two birdies.
Ho turned in 36 after two bogeys and a birdie. While he posted another birdie on the 10th hole, two more bogeys on the 14th and 16th holes caused him to lose his grip on his lead.
“I just couldn’t find my form today. I made several bad drives and they were very costly. Hopefully I can play better tomorrow,” said Ho.
Meanwhile Thailand’s Prom Meesawat, who signed for a 70 to be among the five players bunched in equal sixth, believes that he can overcome his four-shot deficit and make a charge for his second Asian Tour title.
“It’s not over. I’ve been talking to my coach and the main thing tomorrow is to stick with my game plan and stay close to the leaders,” said Prom.
Prom endured a topsy-turvy start to his outward-nine with three bogeys against one birdie after the opening six holes.
He managed to turn his game around at the eighth hole where he saved par and then went on to responded with birdies on holes 9, 10, 12, 16 before dropping another shot on the 17th hole.
“The conditions were different from the first two rounds. I had a good start with my birdie on the second hole but I three-putted right after that and made two more bogeys after that,” said Prom.
“I holed a very important putt on the eighth hole and I managed to get my confidence back for my putting. I birdied the ninth and 10th holes and then on 12th and 16th again. It’s amazing and it’s a good round for me,” added the Thai.
LEADING THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3x71)
205 - Daisuke MARUYAMA (JPN) 67-70-68.
206 - Michio MATSUMURA (JPN) 68-71-67, S.K. HO (KOR) 67-66-73.
207 - Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 64-71-72.
208 - Hiroyuki FUJITA (JPN) 69-69-70.
209 - Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 74-69-66, Kenichi KUBOYA (JPN) 67-74-68, Tetsuji HIRATSUKA (JPN) 69-72-68, Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND) 71-68-70, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 68-71-70.
210 - Anthony KANG (USA) 75-68-67, Brad KENNEDY (AUS) 69-73-68.
211 - Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (am, JPN) 69-72-70, Chawalit PLAPHOL (THA) 71-69-71, Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 71-74-66, Toshinori MUTO (JPN) 68-71-72, KIM Do-hoon 752 (KOR) 69-69-73, BAE Sang-moon (KOR) 67-69-75.
213 - SIDDIKUR (BAN) 73-70-70, Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 69-71-73.