Cabrera joins Hedblom in lead

Argentina's Angel Cabrera birdied the last two holes to share the third-round lead with Sweden's Peter Hedblom after a wind-buffeted day at the BMW Championship on Saturday.

Cabrera, who tied for third at last week's Irish Open, fired a super six-under-par 66 in tough conditions at Wentworth Club's West Course to finish on 10-under 206.

Hedblom, the surprise overnight pacesetter, recovered from a stumbling start before holing a 12-foot birdie putt on 18 for a 73 to join Cabrera at the top of the leaderboard.

British Ryder Cup player David Howell, lifted by an eagle-eagle finish, matched Cabrera's 66 to finish a further two strokes back in a tie for third at eight under with Irishman Paul McGinley, who carded a 72.

Cabrera, 35, began the day seven strokes off the lead but, with most of the field struggling in the swirling winds and only four players breaking 70, he steadily made up the ground.

"I played the back nine spectacularly and hit it pretty solid," the Spanish speaker from Cordoba told reporters through an interpreter. "I also putted very well.

"The course was really tough because of the gusting winds and to play well in these conditions is always very satisfying."

Cabrera, whose last European Tour victory came at the 2002 Benson and Hedges International Open, sandwiched a string of pars around a birdie-two at the fifth to reach the turn in one-under 34.

After running up his only bogey of the day at the 168-yard 10th, he picked up six more shots over the closing stretch, including a chip-in from 30 feet for eagle at the par-five 12th.

Hedblom, three strokes in front overnight after a sparkling second-round 65, surrendered his advantage by dropping three shots over the treacherous front nine.

But the 35-year-old Swede, who broke his leg playing ice hockey in 2001, managed to hold his nerve with superb par-saves on 12, 13 and 15 before catching Cabrera with birdies on 16 and at the last.

"I knew it was going to be a really tough day but I felt like I was in decent control," said Hedblom, who stayed on track for only his second European Tour title following the 1996 Moroccan Open.

"If I can shoot one under tomorrow in the same conditions, I think I could have a good chance."

Englishman Howell, who has lost out in sudden-death playoffs for the last two European Tour events, produced what he described as his best round of the year.

"That was fantastic and to finish eagle-eagle was a massive bonus," he said after completing the back nine in five-under 37.

"Things are going great at the moment and I'm looking forward to the challenge tomorrow."

World number three and Wentworth resident Ernie Els was among those to suffer in the conditions, returning a 75 to finish at one over par -- 11 strokes off the lead.

The three-times major winner began with a double-bogey and triple-bogeyed the par-four 15th after pushing his ball right into a ditch.

"That (triple bogey) killed my round," said South African Els, who has never won the European Tour's flagship event despite a fine record at the same venue in the World Match Play.

"If I could take that out, I would still be in the tournament.

"It means that tomorrow I will have to try again, go for a score in the low sixties and see what that brings."

Colin Montgomerie, whose hopes of automatically qualifying for next month's U.S. Open were effectively blown away by the gusting winds, carded a second successive 73 to join Els at one over.

The 41-year-old Scot, who needs to finish no worse than 16th to have a chance of gaining exemption for the second major of the year, mixed four birdies with three bogeys and a double-bogey six at the eighth.

"I've never seen tougher conditions here," said Montgomerie. "It was a bit like a war zone out there."

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