-15 R Mansell (Eng); -11 R Fox (NZ), D Gavins (Eng); A Noren (Swe); -10 N Moller (Den), A Rozner (Fra); -9 C Shinkwin (Eng); -8 C Burke (SA), R Hojgaard (Den), T Pulkkanen (Fin) |
Selected others: -7 P Harrington (Ire), R MacIntyre (Sco), R McIlroy (NI), M Southgate (Eng), C Syme (Sco); -6 T Hatton (Eng), L Oosthuizen (SA), D Whitnell (Eng); -5 A Fitzpatrick (Eng); M Fitzpatrick (Eng), G Forrest (Sco) |
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England’s Richard Mansell stretched his lead to four shots going into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Compatriot Daniel Gavins, Sweden’s Alex Noren and New Zealander Ryan Fox are Mansell’s closest challengers after his five-under-par 67 at Carnoustie.
The 27-year-old had gone into the third round two ahead of Noren.
“It’s links golf – anything can happen,” said Mansell. “It’s St Andrews, people can shoot 60.”
The unique championship is being played over three Scottish east coast courses, the other being Kingsbarns, and Mansell heads to the Old Course chasing a first DP World Tour victory, following three top-five finishes this year.
“I’ve been in contention a lot this year and had chances on Sundays,” he added. “Every time, they say in golf, that you don’t lose, you learn. That’s what I feel like I’ve done really well this year.”
Noren spent much of Saturday’s play alongside Mansell at the top of the leaderboard but had to sign for a 69 – four adrift of the Englishman’s 15-under-par total.
Northern Ireland’s world number two, Rory McIlroy, and Scottish pair Robert MacIntyre and Connor Syme, both bidding to be the first home winner of this event since Colin Montgomerie in 2005, are eight shots adrift in joint 11th, along with Ireland’s Padraig Harrington.
That was despite Syme’s excellent 65 at Kingsbarns and McIlroy’s 66 at St Andrews, while MacIntyre lost ground with a 71 at the Old Course, where Harrington shot 69.
South African Christiaan Burke and Bruce Mitchell lead the pro-am tournament by two shots.