Westwood maintains three shot lead

Lee Westwood maintained his three shot lead during the third round of the European Grand Prix. Allsport

Lee Westwood overcame injury to retain his three-shot lead in the European Grand Prix at Slaley Hall on Saturday.

The Briton strained a back muscle and needed on-course treatment to ease the pain but managed to hold off all challenges with a two-under-par 70 which left him 10-under on 206 after three rounds.

Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson, who began three strokes behind Westwood but moved to within a stroke of his playing-partner early on, made up for a bogey on the 15th with a birdie on the last to stay in touch.

His 70 kept him a shot better than Briton Andrew Oldcorn, who romped into third place with a 66, lowest round of the tournament.

Compatriot Darren Clarke missed a five-foot birdie chance on the last but posted a 68 to be six off the lead -- his deficit at the English Open earlier this month before surging to victory.

Westwood fully expects to clinch his second European Tour win of the year on Sunday, having beaten Tiger Woods at the European Tournament Players' Championship in Germany.

But he admitted the muscle strain had played on his mind until he received treatment from the Tour physio unit between the 10th and 11th holes.

"I felt a twinge while I was practising," said Westwood, "but didn't think that much about it until the fourth hole.

"Then I felt a pain in my back as I played my second shot, so I guess I must have aggravated what I did on the range, with my tee shot.

"But the physio came out on the 10th and 11th, sprayed the back and I took a couple of painkillers. From then on I was all right.

"If I get that same treatment before I play the final round I should be fine and if I play as well as I did for the first two days, I'll take some catching.

"The course was there for the taking today but frankly, the back worried me and I rather lost my focus for seven or eight holes, but nobody seemed to take full advantage."

Benign conditions after Friday's strong winds cheered the players, but Westwood looked tentative early on and missed a two-footer to bogey the second. Jacobson took full advantage to draw within a stroke with a birdie at the fourth and fifth.

Westwood beat the Swede in a play-off for the Belgacom Open title at Royal Zoute two years ago.

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