Stanley leads Senior Open

Ian Stanley takes a slender lead into final round

BBC Sport Online's John Haughey reports

Australian Ian Stanley will take a one stroke lead into Sunday's final round at the Senior British Open.

The 52-year-old Melbourne man recovered from a triple-bogey seven at the eighth to shoot a 70 which leaves him on four-under-par.

He is a stroke clear of 1963 Open champion Bob Charles and American David Oakley.

Stanley is hoping to finally claim a victory on Irish soil 26 years after squandering a glorious chance in the Irish Open.

Standing on the final tee at Woodbrook in 1975 Stanley led by a shot, but he hit two balls out of bounds to hand the title to Christy O'Connor Junior.

'Do not remember'

"I am not even thinking about that now," said Stanley who has already claimed this year's PGA Seniors title.

"It was a long time ago and I do not even remember what happened," he claimed.

Stanley felt the key to Saturday's round at Royal County Down was a steadying par-four on the tough ninth hole after his triple-bogey on eight.

In the end, the eighth hole was the Australian's only concession to par.

"I told myself to make a four on nine and I was solid on the back nine and two-putted for birdies on the 12th and 16th," added Stanley.

Jack Nicklaus was disappointed with finish

Charles and Oakley both fired 72s to lie one behind while John Morgan (72) and Russell Weir (71) are two adrift of Stanley.

Jack Nicklaus (70), along with Simon Owen (72), Brian Huggett (72) and Bobby Verwey (69), is three behind the leader on one-under.

The Golden Bear bemoaned his finish which saw him missing birdies chances on 16 and 18 as well as dropping a stroke at the 17th where he drove into water.

"I feel like I've given away three shots out there even though I actually only dropped a shot on 17.

"Most guys will birdie the short par four 16th but I only got a par after I put my tee shot in a bunker.

"On 17 I absolutely flushed my three-wood and even though it was into the wind it went in the water in the middle of the fairway.

Strong finish

"I thought I hit an absolutely perfect four-iron second shot on 18 but my ball bounced off to the right and I couldn't two-putt from the valley to the right of the green," said Nicklaus.

The Golden Bear had menacingly moved into contention by going out in 34 and then picking up another shot at the 12th.

I have won a lot of tournaments from seven behind

  Gary Player

However, he failed to pick up another shot and his bogey on 17 left him on one-under.

1998 champion Huggett produced a strong finish with two birdies in his closing four holes to sign for his 69.

Leader at the start of play, John Bland dropped back to level-par after firing a disappointing 76.

Bland's poor day was completed by his driving into water at the 17th and taking a double-bogey. Gary Player is on the fringes of contention after producing his first sub-par round of the week to lie six off the pace on two-over.

Gary Player feels he is still in contention

Player's one-under 70 could have been a lot better as he double-bogeyed the fifth and also had three-putts on 13 and 15 which cost a shot each.

Highlight of the 66-year-old's round was an eagle three where he hit a drive and a six-iron to 20-feet and holed the putt.

"That is the the first decent round I have played in six weeks. I've been practising like an animal and my game is getting a lot better," said Player.

"The birdie on the last has put me in with an outside chance. I have won a lot of tournaments from seven behind," added the South African.

Texan John Grace equalled the best round of the week with a 67 which shot him up the field to only one-over.

Irish hopefuls

The American hit four birdies to go out in 31 and he held himself together well to produce a level-par back nine.

The five remaining Irish hopefuls are all out of contention entering the final round.

Eddie Polland broke par with a 70 but is on six-over - one ahead of Kenny Stevenson who fired a disappointing 76.

Denis O'Sullivan is nine-over after a 74 while Arthur Pierce is three strokes further back following a 75.

Paul Leonard is in second last place entering the final round after soaring to a shocking 84 which included an outward half of 46.

Collated third round scores (GB & Ire unless stated): 209 I Stanley (Aus) 70 69 70; 210 B Charles (Nzl) 69 69 72, D Oakley (USA) 70 68 72; 211 R Weir 73 67 71, J Morgan 69 70 72; 212 B Verwey (Rsa) 74 69 69, J Nicklaus (USA) 70 72 70, S Owen (Nzl) 71 69 72, B Huggett 69 71 72; 213 D Stockton (USA) 71 71 71, J Bland (Rsa) 68 69 76.

214 J Grace (USA) 77 70 67, P Dawson 73 71 70; 215 G Player (Rsa) 72 73 70, N Job 75 69 71; 216 T Price (USA) 73 71 72; 217 D Huish 75 71 71, I Aoki (Jpn) 72 70 75, B Gallacher 69 71 77; 218 K Takahashi (Jpn) 77 73 68, D Creamer 75 74 69, B Vivian (Nzl) 72 74 72, B Vivian (Nzl) 72 74 72, T Gale (Aus) 74 72 72, N Ratcliffe (Aus) 70 75 73, J Fourie (Rsa) 73 70 75.

219 E Polland 75 74 70, V Somers (Rsa) 74 75 70, C Defoy 78 70 71, N Coles 74 72 73, D Durnian 69 76 75; 220 R Carrasco (USA) 74 76 70, J McTear 78 72 70, B Shearer (Aus) 74 76 70, D Good (Aus) 75 74 71, S Ebihara (Jpn) 74 75 71, J Traub (USA) 74 74 72, N Sugai (Jpn) 69 78 73, M Bembridge 74 72 74, A Tapie (USA) 71 74 75, K Stevenson 72 72 76; 221 J Horton (USA) 74 72 75, V Krajewski (USA) 75 71 75, E Sabo (USA) 75 70 76, A Croce (Ita) 70 74 77.

222 D O'Sullivan 76 72 74; 223 T Britz (Rsa) 77 73 73, T Horton 74 75 74, M Gregson 70 78 75, V Garcia (Spa) 74 74 75, D Cambridge 71 72 80, K MacDonald 72 69 82; 224 W Milne 74 74 76, E Itai (Jpn) 74 72 78, B Hardwick (Can) 75 71 78 225 A Pierse 76 74 75, S Smith (USA) 76 73 76, J Bruner (USA) 73 76 76, D McClean (USA) 72 76 77, D Douglass (USA) 76 71 78, R Metherell (Aus) 73 71 79; 226 M Miller 77 73 76, J Rhodes 80 68 78 227 N Swenson (USA) 73 76 78, A Balding (Can) 76 71 80, T Wargo (USA) 77 69 81; 229 P Leonard 72 73 84 230 S Locatelli (Ita) 78 72 80.