Leven Gold Medal Scoreboard

Graeme Robertson's birdie blitz puts him three ahead with one round to go in Leven Gold Medal

       Graeme Robertson, five birdies in a row, in third-round 65 pictured enjoying his lunch in the Leven Golf Society clubhouse before going out for his final circuit in the Leven Gold Medal

                   Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency

By COLIN FARQUHARSON 
Five birdies in a row from the 10th in a third-round, esix-under-par 65  pushed Graeme Robertson up to 15-under-par 201 - three strokes clear of former Scottish champion Barry Hume (68 for 204)  with Jeff Wright (69 for 206) , first round leader with a 65,  in third place as the Leven Gold Medal tournament headed into the home straight on a sunny afternoon at the Fife links venue.
Three players had been tied for the halfway lead at eight under par - Robertson, Hume and Bryan Fotheringham from Inverness.
But Fotheringam, feeling "out of sorts," had an inward half of 43 this morning in running up an eight-over 79 which knocked him back into a share of 15th
Glenbervie's Robertson suddenly hit a hot putting streak over the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th.
He had already birdied the short seventh and was out in one-under 33 .. but his score really took off after the turn as he chalked up 3-3-4-4-3 against a par of 4-4-5-5-4
He came home in 32 to be one of three players who returned 65s in the third round. The others were Calum Cochrane (Marriott Dalmahoy) and Greg Smail (Craigielaw).
Cochrane went to the turn in five-under-29 with birdies at the second, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth.
He did add another, at the 12th but the rest were pars on the way home. 
Smail's 65 amazingly included a double bogey 7 at the sixth so he had to shoot eight birdies to make up for that - at the second, third, fourth, 2s at the short seventh and ninth (out in 31) followed by further birdies at the 11th, 12th and 17.
Former US collee circuit player Smail imroved his prosition to eight under-par 208 - seven beh
ind leader Robertson while Cochrane was now on 209.
If Robertson can win the Leven Gold Medal it would come at the right time to boost his chances of being selected for the GB and I Walker Cup team for the September match against ythe USA at Lytham St Annes.
Robertson was named in the preliinary squad several months ago. The final team will be named later this month.
"I suddenly started holing everything," said Graeme over the lunch break. "The greens are a perfect pace for my putting stroke."
Reinstaed amateur Hume


THIRD ROUND TOTALS

Par 213 (3x71)  CSS 72 72 72
201 G Robertson (Glenbervie) 69 67 65
204 B Hume (Haggs Castle) 67 69 68 
206 J Wright (Forres) 65 72 69
208 G Smail (Craigielaw) 70 73 65
209 C Cochrane (Marriott Dalmahoy) 72 72 65
210 C Wallace (Balbirnie Park) 69 70 71
211 A Carrick (Douglas Park) 69 71 71, D Elder (Carnoustie) 70 70 71
213 A McDougall (Elderslie) 69 71 73, S Stewart (Clydebank and Dist) 69 72 72, K Godsman (Moray) 68 69 76
214 M Hogg (Rushcliffe) 69 71 74, C Low (Tantallon) 71 71 72, D Mitchell (Leven Th) 71 74 69
215 E Wood (Crow Wood) 71 72 71, B Fotheringham (Inverness) 70 66 79, R Wardlaw (Carnoustie Caledonia) 67 77 71
216 F Carr (Crail GS) 71 69 76, A Campbell (Dumbarton)  70 71 75, B A Kinsley (St Andrews) 69 72 75, D Sutton (Walsall) 73 70 73, A Moir (Thornton) 68 78 70. S Aitken (Leven GS) 71 75 70
217 M Miller (Lundin) 69 73 75, M Napier (Tuirnhouse) 73 71 73, G Forrester (Lundin) 68 76 73
218 J Shaw (Boat of Garten) 73 71 74, G Wishart (Lundin) 72 72 74, C H Macneal (Prestwick) 66 80 72,  S Rennie (Drumpellier) 76 69 73
219 R Walsh (Kirkcaldy) 70 73 76. R Smith (Marriott Dalmahoy) 69 75 75, R Campbell (Falkirk) 74 72 73, M Anderson (Leven Th) 71 74 74, R
220 K Blyth (Lundin) 71 72 77, J  A Wilson (Balmore) 71 74 75
221 A Davidson (Charleton) 72 73 76
225 R White (Leven GS) 77 68 80