Fulke holds on to advantage

Pierre Fulke stretched his lead to three strokes at the Scottish PGA Championship with a 4-under-par 68 in the third round today.

The Swede followed Friday's course-record 63 with a steady round in much tougher conditions after rain fell on the Gleneagles Monarch's Course all night and into the morning.

Fulke, who missed seven months of golf with a wrist injury before he returned to action in June, had five birdies and a bogey to finish the day at 15 under.

Countryman Henrik Nystrom was at 12 under after his 68.

Alastair Forsyth of Scotland shot a 71 and was at 10 under, with first-round leader Raphael Jacquelin another stroke behind after a 73 that would have been worse if not for a run of three successive birdies early on the back nine.

Fulke's only European PGA Tour victory was at last year's Lancome Trophy.

"If I could shoot another 68 I think it would be hard to beat. It's up to me to do that,'' Fulke said.

Nystrom was last in contention going into the last round at the Wales Open in June, when he dropped back with a closing 75.

"I learned a lot from that. I learned to stay calm,'' he said.

"We were lucky with the weather today. The rain stopped just as we teed off. The course was playing longer but the greens were holding better and you could fire at the pins.''

Scottish veteran Steve McAllister had the most trouble today, with an 11 -- including six bunker shots -- at the 516-yard second hole. After a par at the third, he bogeyed four of the next five holes and finished the day with an 81.

Paul Lawrie, the 1999 British Open champion, carded a nine at the second hole on the way to a 75. He's at even-par for the tournament.

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