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Montgomerie extends lead to three

Colin Montgomerie carded a three-under 68 to increase his lead to three shots at 13-under-par 200 heading into the final round of the Irish Open. Alone in second is 20-year-old Australian Adam Scott, who, despite a bogey at the final hole Saturday, finished with a 66 for a three-day total of 10-under 203.

England's Anthony Wall, two shots back of Montgomerie at the start of the day, shot even-par 71 for a share of third place at eight-under with fellow countryman Gary Emerson (67) and Fredrik Henge (70) of Sweden.

The 38-year-old Montgomerie, a back-to-back Irish Open winner at Druids Glen in 1996-97, is on the threshold of breaking through for the first time in 2001. Although he captured the Australasian Tour's Ericsson Masters back in February, the seven-time Order of Merit champ is stuck on 24 European Tour wins and is outside the top-10 of the Ryder Cup standings looking n.

"There is no bad time to be three ahead in a tournament of this quality," said Montgomerie, whose best 2001 European Tour finish was a tie for third at the Singapore Masters in February. "As I said earlier in the week, it is a very important month for me -- four big tournaments and three coming up after this one so it痴 very encouraging that I知 in this position."

After climbing to 13-under for the first time with three straight birdies starting at the fourth, Montgomerie committed bogeys at the seventh and 10th to slip into a tie for the top spot with young gun Scott, who collected his seventh birdie of the day at 16 to get to 11-under par.

Montgomerie went on to sandwich birdies at 12 and 14 around a bogey at 13 that was the product of a missed green at the 208-yard par-three. Meanwhile, Scott was capping his round with a bogey at the par-five closing hole after knocking his approach from the light rough into a water hazard.

"Overall I知 pleased with my performance," said Scott, who posted his first tour victory at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa last January. "I played brilliantly in spells out there and I could have had a few shots better so I知 happy and confident for tomorrow."

Scott admitted he was bothered more by his final bogey than by his earlier dropped shot at the 10th, a bogey that was also the result of a wayward approach that found water.

"I知 a little more aggrieved with the 18th I think," Scott said. "I壇 put the 10th behind me but to finish with a birdie would have had me right in there with Monty for tomorrow so it is a little disappointing."

Montgomerie two-putted from long range to make par at the 16th before rolling in an eight-foot putt at 17 for his sixth birdie. He had a chance to stretch his advantage to four but failed to birdie the 507-yard 18th.

"I知 where I want to be and I知 very happy in this position," he said. "There are some good players who had some good scores today and if they do the same tomorrow they can challenge.

"But it痴 up to me, being three ahead, to concentrate on myself and do what I do, keep hitting the fairways and greens and putting the way I am doing. I知 putting reasonably well, I had 27 today which is good and if I do what I have to do, then we値l see what happens."

Italy's Massimo Scarpa made 20,000 friends Saturday when his ace at the par- three 13th earned every member of the gallery a free pint on the Irish Open's title sponsor, Murphy's. He finished with a 67 to join a nine-way tie for sixth place at six-under 207.

Also at 207 is Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, who, like Monty and another top European Tour player, Lee Westwood, has struggled so far in 2001. Clarke turned in a bogey-free 65 -- the low round of the day -- to keep alive the possibility of becoming the first Irish winner of this event since John O'Leary in 1982.

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