McLEARY FIVE BEHIND LEADER DOUGHERTY IN COLOMBIA

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY EUROPEAN TOUR
By NEIL AHERN
Jamie McLeary’s title challenge at the Pacific Rubiales Colombia Classic was dealt a blow in the third round at Country Club de Barranquilla as he carded a one over par round of 73 to finish the day five shots behind outright leader Nick Dougherty.
McLeary was joined in tied tenth place by two other Scots, Callum Macaulay and Raymond Russell, as well as young Englishman Chris Lloyd.
On a moving day when the movement at the top of the leaderboard was predominantly upwards, in much kinder conditions, McLeary started brightly with three successive birdies on the fourth, fifth and sixth taking him to the turn in three under.
But an unfortunate couple of breaks meant he struggled on the way back with four bogeys on the back nine. Nevertheless, the 29 year old was happy with how he played and was determined not to let it affect him in what is his first appearance after a long winter break.
“I’d have taken this position at the start of the week, having not played competitively since Qualifying School last December,” said the 2009 Scottish Hydro Challenge champion.
“I started so well, I was playing really well the whole way around, but a couple of times I just hit it right behind trees and had to chip out, it’s like a penalty shot but I played alright otherwise. It was just one of those things.
“It’s a pity to get stuck in those trees when they’re so sparse, I was just off the fairway one of the times but I played good so I can’t get down on myself. To do well at these events you sometimes need the rub of the green and I just didn’t get that today but there’s always tomorrow.
“If somebody told me I would be in 10th place going into the last round I would have taken that, it’s just a case of playing well tomorrow and see where I finish.”
Macaulay has shown plenty of fight after starting the week with a three over par 75, carding a 70 on the second day before bettering that with a three under par third round of 69.
Russell’s steady form at the beginning of the 2012 season continues as he followed up his opening rounds of 71 and 72, respectively, with another one under par 71.
Scott Henry was in tied 19th spot on level par going into the final round after a two under par third round of 70, while Jack Doherty’s 70 elevated him to tied 37th on three over for the tournament.
Meanwhile, a rejuvenated and resurgent Dougherty will enter the final round of his Challenge Tour debut as the outright leader after a flawless four under par round of 68.
The three-time European Tour winner has been rolling back the years at Country Club de Barranquilla after a long winter break from the game and enters a final round in contention for the first time since he won the BMW International Open on The European Tour in 2009.
The 29 year old is one shot clear of his compatriots Philip Archer, a two time Challenge Tour winner, and fellow Challenge Tour debutante Tyrrell Hatton.
“The last time I was in with a chance was when I won so I know what to do,” said the Liverpudlian, “I have won at the highest level and beaten some of the players in the world but that’s not what I’m thinking about now. Most important for me now is to try and be as free as I can. Like I said before, it’s baby steps and for me, that’s about not stressing myself and not getting in my own way.”
THIRD-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
209 N Dougherty (Eng) 71 70 68
210 P Archer (Eng) 71 71 68, T Hatton (Eng) 73 70 67
211 M Haines (Eng) 69 75 67, M Madsen (Den) 76 69 66, C Hanson (Eng) 72 69 70
212 B Barham (Eng) 74 68 70, F Ojeda Racioppi (Arg) 73 72 67
213 M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 72 71 70
214 J McLeary (Sco) 72 69 73, C Macaulay (Sco) 75 70 69, R Russell (Sco) 71 72 71, C Lloyd (Eng) 73 73 68
215 F Damus (Arg) 75 70 70, A Hartø (Den) 75 70 70, J Huldahl (Den) 73 73 69, J Lima (Por) 70 72 73, P Pinto (Arg) 70 75 70
216 E Kofstad (Nor) 70 71 75, S Henry (Sco) 76 70 70, S Saavedra (Arg) 69 72 75, S Fernandez (Arg) 74 71 71
217 S Rivas (Col) 74 68 75, C Paisley (Eng) 77 71 69, M Carlsson (Swe) 74 71 72, M Villegas (Col) 68 74 75, M Ruiz (Par) 74 72 71, D Brooks (Eng) 68 73 76, J Amaya (Col) 75 73 69
218 M Cryer (Eng) 74 69 75, L Goddard (Eng) 72 72 74, J Garrido (Col) 72 75 71, G Clark (Eng) 73 74 71, F De Vries (Ned) 75 72 71, P Del Grosso (Arg) 79 70 69, J Clavijo (Col) 73 74 71
219 J Doherty (Sco) 73 76 70, N Lemke (Swe) 79 70 70
220 P Dwyer (Eng) 76 73 71, C Brazillier (Fra) 74 73 73, J Luna (Col) 73 75 72, C Ford (Eng) 74 73 73, S Franky (Col) 78 70 72
221 A Wagner (Arg) 75 73 73, D Larrazabal (Ven) 71 72 78, J Rivas (Col) 71 71 79, P Reed (USA) 73 76 72, C Ricardo (am) (Col) 72 75 74
222 J Osmar (Col) 73 74 75, D Vancsik (Arg) 77 72 73, S Kim (Kor) 72 72 78, C Monasterio (Arg) 76 73 73, A Echavarria (Col) 74 74 74, L Jensen (Den) 70 77 75
223 C Suneson (Esp) 73 71 79, D Lokke (Den) 77 72 74, M Glauert (Ger) 72 73 78, R Quiros (Esp) 76 73 74, M Hurtado (Col) 74 71 78
224 H Cespedes (Par) 74 75 75, D Gaunt (Aus) 76 71 77
225 A Knappe (Ger) 77 72 76, E Aristizabal (Col) 75 74 76, P Relecom (Bel) 73 74 78, A Butterfield (Eng) 74 74 77
226 S Benson (Eng) 74 75 77, J Abbott (Eng) 76 73 77
228 S Tiley (Eng) 73 74 81
233 E Arrazola Jr (am) (Col) 73 76 84