Harrington & Romero share lead

Ireland's Padraig Harrington bounced back from a double-bogey six on the 17th hole with a birdie-three at the last to finish the Dunhill Links Championship's third round in a tie for the lead on Saturday.

The 31-year-old Dubliner, a member of Europe's triumphant Ryder Cup team at The Belfry last week, carded a four-under-par 68 at St. Andrews to close at 16-under 200, level with first-round leader Eduardo Romero of Argentina who fired a 67.

"It was important to birdie 18 and that meant quite a lot to me," said Harrington, chasing his first victory of the year.

"I knew I had a chance on 18 if I didn't do anything stupid and coming back there with a birdie limited some of the damage from 17."

One shot back at 15-under 201 was 2000 U.S. Masters champion Vijay Singh, who fired a superb eight-under-par 64 at a dry and sunny St. Andrews after holing out with a sand wedge from 40 yards for an eagle-two at the last.

A further two strokes behind in a share of fourth were Spaniard Ignacio Garrido and 1985 British Open champion Sandy Lyle, who returned matching rounds of 67 at St. Andrews.

Harrington stood on the tee at the infamous Road Hole 17th one shot clear of Romero but pulled his sand wedge approach from 105 yards just short of the greenside bunker.

He then duffed his chip, with the ball almost rolling back into the same bunker, before he three-putted to run up a six.

But the Irishman, who has produced seven top-10 finishes on the European Tour this season, recovered at the 357-yard last, where he hit his tee shot just short of the green.

From there, he putted up through the Valley of Sin to just four feet to secure his seventh birdie of the day.

"A 68 is a good score and I'm happy enough with that," he said. "But the reality is that six under -- or a bit better -- would have put distance between myself and the vast majority of the field."

"Now there are a lot of guys going out tomorrow who feel they have a chance of winning. Whereas if I didn't double-bogey 17, it would be a two or three-horse race at most tomorrow."

The 48-year-old Romero, like Harrington playing at St. Andrews, started one stroke adrift of the pace-setting Irishman and mixed six birdies with a bogey-five at the 456-yard 15th.

"I played solid today and made some good putts," said the mustachioed Argentine. "I only missed one drive, so that was the key."

India's Jyoti Randhawa, who returned to competition a month ago after breaking his collar bone in a motorcycle accident in March, carded a three-under-par 69 at Carnoustie to finish sixth at 12-under 204.

"My game is holding up well," he said. "I am making a few putts, but also not missing many greens.

"If I shoot the lights out at St. Andrews tomorrow I could possibly win."

Seven-times European number one Colin Montgomerie carded a second successive 69 to tie for 13th at eight under while six-times major champion Nick Faldo fired a six-birdie 66 at Kingsbarns for a share of 21st at seven under.

But it was day of struggle for British Open champion Ernie Els and 2001 U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen, who are involved in a tight battle for the 2002 European order of merit title.

Els ran up a quadruple-bogey eight at the Road Hole on his way to a 72 at St. Andrews, slipping back into a tie for 30th at five under, while Goosen battled his way to a one-over-par 73 at the same course to close on six-under 210.

Goosen currently tops the European earnings with $2.24 million. Els lies second with $2.22 million.

A total of 165 teams -- featuring one professional and one amateur -- played one round each over the Old Course at St. Andrews, the championship course at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns Golf Links before the cut was made at two-under 214.

Seventy-two professionals qualified to play the last 18 holes at St. Andrews on Sunday while 21 amateurs, led by Irish racehorse owner JP McManus at a pace-setting 31 under, will compete in the final round at the same course.

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