Goosen retakes lead

Mark Roe refused to blame his swollen hand and arm for shooting the third-worst score of the day and falling from halfway leader to 20th in the Lancome Trophy in Paris on Saturday.

Once again fearful that he would not be able to play when he woke up to find his reaction to a wasp sting on Thursday had worsened, Roe managed only a third-round 75 and now goes into the final day seven strokes behind defending champion Retief Goosen.

"I was in a panic because I couldn't bend my wrist and the swelling had gone up to my knuckle," said the 38-year-old from Sheffield.

"But I'm not making excuses for my score. The hand got better during the round and it didn't affect my swing. It wasn't a factor and the only problem really was my putting. I felt uncomfortable on the greens all day."

Roe bogeyed the fourth, sixth and 11th and could never climb back onto the leaderboard with birdies galore coming elsewhere.

Goosen shot a 65 to reach the 13-under-par mark of 200 and thanks to Sergio Garcia going into the pond at the par three last now holds a one-stroke lead over both the 21-year-old Spaniard and Ryder Cup Swede Niclas Fasth.

It remains important that Roe keeps battling, however, because he can save his tour career.

Currently 131st on the Order of Merit, the former World and Dunhill Cup player needs to climb 15 places to avoid his first trip to the tour qualifying school since 1984 and that probably means a top-seven finish on Sunday.

"I'm not out of it - and I deserve a break," he said.

Goosen will face both Garcia and Fasth with the 78 players going off in threes rather than twos and said: "We can have our own mini-Ryder Cup - Europe against the Rest of the World."

Facing Garcia, though, brings back memories of their meeting in the Cisco World Match Play at Wentworth two years ago.

Goosen said he remembered it most for the fact that they had a better-ball of 25 on the front nine - he was out in 29, Garcia in 30 - but others will recall it for something else.

With the match slipping away, Garcia slipped on the 33rd hole as he was hitting his drive and in his anger took off a shoe and kicked it, almost hitting the match referee.

"I had better stand a bit away when we walk off the tee," joked Goosen.

As well as being the holder of the title, of course, the South African is also the US and Open champion and the runaway leader of the European Order of Merit.

But Garcia has won twice on the American tour this season and is determined to sign off his limited European campaign with another victory - his first in Europe for nearly two years.

Both turned in 32, but while Goosen added further birdies at the 11th and 13th in a flawless display Garcia had bogeys at the 14th and 18th.

Fasth cannot be dismissed lightly, though. He was runner-up to David Duval in the Open - his first-ever major championship - and even with a double bogey at the short seventh finished with a 66.

Salisbury's Gary Emerson is lying fourth a stroke further back. Goosen had led after his opening 64, but lost his way somewhat in a second-day 71.

"It was just a timing thing and starting with two birdies today got the confidence back.

"I would imagine Sergio is going to be the man to beat, but when you defend a title you do feel more confident. You have good memories of the course."

Three of his four tour victories prior to this year had come on French soil and when asked if his first major win had brought him few fans he replied: "I think I was pretty popular in France before.

"It's nice to have a few more supporters out there besides my wife."

Roe, meanwhile, was thinking of keeping his golf glove on all night this time because of the beneficial effect it seemed to have during the round.

Garcia was thinking of other things as he left the course, however.

Remembering events of last week he said: "I just hope to go out there tomorrow and bring it home for all the guys that died or disappeared in New York.

"I will just try to do my best for all of them and hopefully I will be able to do it."

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