dunhill links championship 2006

Padraig Harrington threw his hat into the ring in the race to be European number one after climbing to second place in the Dunhill Links Championship on Saturday.

The Irishman carded a three-under-par 68 at a windswept Carnoustie in the third round to move to 12-under-par, a stroke adrift of leader Bradley Dredge, who played at Kingsbarns for his third round.

Welshman Dredge, looking for his second successive win after taking the European Masters title, shot a 71.

Harrington, fifth on the order of merit, did not seem in touch with money-list leader Paul Casey, especially after the Englishman led the field on day one in Scotland.

However, as Casey faded at Carnoustie with a 73 on Saturday, Harrington came into his own, fighting back from bogeys on the 16th and 17th with a birdie at the last to continue his bid for the lead and to track Casey.

"I needed something to make me push on after the Ryder Cup," Harrington told reporters. "It would have been easy to sit back because after the match it's a bit of a downer.

"The order of merit was a long-shot, it still is, but I'm using it as my motivation."

If Harrington can claim his first title of the year on Sunday, it will be worth 650,000 euros and could take him to second place on the order of merit, with just the Majorca Classic and big-money season-ending Volvo Masters to come.

Harrington trails almost 800,000 euros behind Casey but he will probably play Majorca if he gets the right result on Sunday and wins his second Dunhill Links title and then hope to pip Casey at the Volvo Masters.

Casey's slip down the field to eight shots off the lead gave encouragement to his nearest rival David Howell, who missed the cut on two-over after a third-round 70.

Howell, almost over a niggling shoulder injury but now suffering a painful foot, also lifted his spirits by birdieing three of the last five holes at Carnoustie, but recognised he needed a few days rest before expecting to play in Las Vegas on the U.S. Tour.

He told Reuters: "It was an event too far for me this week. But the way Paul's going now there's still all to play for."

Casey, after his round left him in a tie for 18th place on five-under, was unfazed by his position and "looking forward" to bouncing back in the final round at St Andrews.

Of Harrington's charge after him, he said: "He must have played great golf. I know if he wins he can get close to me.

"I won't be playing in Majorca, though, even so. If he wants to chase it then fine. I need to recharge my batteries and then play well at Valderrama."

Title-holder Colin Montgomerie, who hoped for victory this week to make a late bid for the money-list himself, crashed out of the event on five-over after running up an 80 at Carnoustie.

Little-known American Edward Loar, who plays on the Asian Tour, holds third place, four strokes off the lead after a 70 at St Andrews.

Leader Dredge, who won the European Masters in Crans-sur-Sierre a month ago by eight shots, said: "I led in Switzerland going into final round and I take confidence from that."