KLM Open 2006

Former club professional Damien McGrane's blistering finish at Kennemer on Saturday left the Irishman three strokes clear of the field in the weather-disrupted Dutch Open third round.

McGrane, who only began his European Tour career three years ago after working in a Wexford club shop, made a huge advance on a maiden title by scattering the field with four closing birdies in a seven-under-par 64 which hauled him to 12-under-par 201.

On a day of low-scoring, fellow Irishman Peter Lawrie, the 2003 European rookie of the year, still without a win, was the first to shoot 64 to share second place with Frenchman Jean-Francois Remesy (67) and Briton Simon Dyson (66).

What was a course-record 64, though, did not last for long as Australian left-hander Richard Green broke it with a 62 that left him in a share of fifth place. He was a further stroke back, with another Frenchman, Christian Cevaer, and Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen.

McGrane said he was happy to be shooting it out with Lawrie, who will play with him in the final round, but hoped to ward off his friend to prove his transition from club to touring pro was the right decision.

"My game had improved so much over the last 10 years that I felt it was time for me to leave the type of business I was in," said McGrane.

"Now I feel I have something to prove - that I made the right decision - and I'm looking to crack that nut by winning.

"It will be great playing with Peter and I hope he does well, but I do just that bit better."

Colin Montgomerie made a marked improvement to his putting to give himself encouragement for the U.S. PGA Championship with a 67 which left him with an outside victory chance, seven shots off the lead.

The eight-times European number one ditched his belly-putter that had caused him to three-putt four times in the first two rounds and bought a normal-size model from the Kennemer pro-shop for 179 euros.

A putting lesson from former tour pro and fellow-Briton John Hawksworth, now a television commentator, also helped the Scot who is now targeting a closing 62 to back up his tournament favourite status.

After losing a fifth hour of the week because of thunderstorms that brought 65 mm of rain in two days to Kennemer at the start of the round, the tournament is back on track to finish on time on Sunday.