Lonard holds on to narrow advantage

Peter Lonard led the Irish Open on Saturday for a third successive round, as Australians continued to dominate the tournament on the County Louth links.

Strong winds billowed up the scoring and caused Lonard the occasional wobble, but the 37-year-old stayed on course for his first European Tour title with a level-par 72 that left him at 10-under-par, a stroke better than compatriot Brett Rumford.

Rumford, who won last year's Aa St Omer Open, carded a 70 to finish a stroke better than South Africa's James Kingston.

Lonard began the third round two strokes ahead of Kingston and Britain's Stephen Gallacher, who was one player to suffer in the conditions, falling five shots off the lead.

Lonard had some problems on the front nine when he triple-bogeyed the short seventh after his ball took off in the wind into ridged rough, before he three-putted the eighth to wipe out two early birdies and a three-shot lead.

The back nine was more composed for Lonard with a 25ft birdie putt on the 16th separating him from his compatriot.

"I'd said that you need to play the par-threes well here and I don't suppose a triple-bogey fits into that category," joked Lonard. "I went to the next tee crying!

"But after I'd three-putted I played pretty solid golf."

The 26-year-old Rumford, meanwhile, is anxious to snatch his second European tour victory.

"It was a good win at St Omer because I led from start to finish," said Rumford.

"But it still felt a slightly hollow victory because of it being co-sanctioned with the Challenge Tour and it didn't have the quality of players here this week and a win would mean a great deal."

Ireland's Padraig Harrington, one of the pre-tournament favourites, shrugged off neck and shoulder pains to shoot a 71 to finish five strokes off the lead, while Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke slumped to a 78 and is 13 shots behind Lonard.

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