Green maintains three stroke lead

Australian Richard Green will take a three-shot lead into the Dutch Open final round, hoping to end a seven-year title drought after "playing like Monty" on Saturday.

The 33-year-old left-hander used seven-times European number one Colin Montgomerie as his role model, sticking to a game plan of playing smart golf to fire a faultless three-under-par 67 and move to 15-under-par 195.

That left him three strokes ahead of first-round leader David Lynn of Britain.

"My plan was to stay in position and I thought about experienced players like Monty, who doesn't retreat on a Saturday when he's going well," said Green after retaining the three-shot advantage he held after the round two.

"I played with him on the Saturday in the 1999 Volvo PGA Championship he won, and I admired the way he stayed solid under pressure, so it was a case of playing like Monty today," Green added.

"I hadn't ever been in the position of leading by three shots going into the third round, so I was pleased to keep the same lead."

Although Green has often threatened to repeat his 1997 Dubai Desert Classic victory, when he beat major winners Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam in a playoff, this represents his best chance yet to add to his single European Tour title after two second places this year.

Green has not dropped a shot since the 11th hole in the second round and hardly looked like doing so on Saturday as he ran in 11 straight pars before throwing in back-to-back birdies, his second from off the green at the short 13th.

His third birdie of the day then came at the final hole.

Nearest rival Lynn showed the sort of form he had in the opening round when he shot a 63, the Englishman who has never won on the main tour posting a 65.

Ireland's Paul McGinley birdied two of the last three holes for a 68 to move into a share of third place, seven strokes off the lead, heading a quartet of players trying to boost their chances of a place in Europe's Ryder Cup team.

Ian Poulter, playing with McGinley for a third successive round, shot 71 to lie 10 shots off the lead.

Graeme McDowell's 71 left him 12 strokes off the pace, while David Howell is 16 shots adrift after also carding a 71.

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