Poulter's lead cut to two strokes

England's Ian Poulter allowed a six-shot third-round lead to melt away to only two strokes at the Wales Open on Saturday, leaving home favorite Phillip Price with chance to get one over on him again.

Poulter, leader for the first two rounds despite suffering with a bout of tonsillitis, began birdie-eagle and tripled his overnight two-shot lead by the 13th with a blistering run.

But he then stumbled with two bogeys and a double-bogey over the next three holes and had to settle for a four-under-par 68 at Wentwood Hills.

His 16-under-par 200 aggregate left him only two strokes better than playing-partner Price, the man who pipped him for a 2001 European Ryder Cup place by claiming the final qualifying 10th spot in Europe's points table to Poulter's 11th.

Price, trying to become the first home winner of the event, was less spectacular than Poulter, but he battled hard coming home to preserve a blemish-free 68 that kept him a stroke ahead of Fredrik Jacobson.

The Swede's 64 would have broken the old course record but Australian Jarrod Moseley, four off the lead with Scotland's Andrew Coltart, had already taken the record by two shots with a flawless nine-under-par 63 with birdies at the last four holes.

Despite leading for three rounds now, Poulter acknowledged he had let the field get back at him, but felt a closing birdie might just be enough for him to still take his fourth title.

"Obviously, dropping a few shots at the end has given hope to a few others but to come back and birdie the last was pretty good," said Poulter.

"I didn't do that much wrong to drop my shots and if I play golf the way I've been doing they are going to have to play well to beat me."

Welshman Price, finding himself two strokes behind Poulter just as he had been at the start of Saturday's round, said he was going to have to 'up' his game to beat Poulter.

"I don't think that four birdies tomorrow [Sunday] are going to cut it," said Price.

"Ian went berserk for a time but he then dropped shots to let us all in with a chance, not just me but players like Jarrod who shot a 63.

"It shows that you can shoot low on this course but, as Ian found, get into trouble. I wasn't exciting at all and that's what I need to be in the final round."

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