• Open Championship, Round Three

Clarke stands tall to hold lead

Darren Clarke had a spring in his step at Royal St George's © PA Photos

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The weather gods smiled on Darren Clarke for the third day in succession and he took full advantage to take a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Open Championship at Royal St George's.

While the first two days were down to the fortune of being placed on the best side of the draw, Saturday saw the wind howl and rain hammer down early in the day - while Clarke had his feet up in the clubhouse. There were huge scores posted by the early starters - with it described as a "nasty, dastardly day" by Open legend Tom Watson - but by the time Clarke stepped on to the tee at 3.05pm the worst of the weather had gone.

It turned into a benign late afternoon by links standards and Clarke fired at the pins throughout. He missed a number of putts and this enabled the rest of the field to keep in touch with the Ulsterman, but he will head into final 18 holes with victory in mind.

Clarke made an early statement of intent with a birdie on one, which came thanks to a superb drive, excellent approach and confident putt. The short stick let him down on two and five, as five-footers were left above ground.

His composure and tempo were good throughout and a birdie on 12 was sandwiched between a string of pars in a round of 69 to leave him well placed at five-under after 54 holes.

There has been plenty of column inches devoted to the demise of US golf. Such talk has been made to look foolish as Dustin Johnson put himself firmly in contention with a run of four birdies on the back nine to take him to four-under for the championship and into the final pairing on Sunday.

And with the 12 players - Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim, Chad Campbell and Lucas Glover among them - inside the top 20 it is probably premature to write the obituary of American golf.

Thomas Bjorn and Miguel Angel Jimenez struggled to gain any momentum on moving day, but they are in the hunt at two-under and one-under respectively.

Rory McIlroy began his round with the intention of posting a challenging score, but in the worst of the conditions he failed to make any sort of impression.

The US Open champion's round was summed up on the first hole, as he fired a tee shot wide of the fairway and failed to get up and down for a par from a greenside bunker. Time and again McIlroy was wild off the tee and he too often left himself needing to hole sizeable putts for par. He holed a swinging 12-footer for par on the second, but gave another shot away on three. An excellent birdie on seven threatened to spark him into life, but another wayward drive on eight cost a shot.

Rickie Fowler will be a big threat on Sunday © Getty Images

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McIlroy ground things out around the turn, but his title challenge effectively petered out on 14 and it was appropriate that the driver was the stick that did the damage. He sent his tee shot out of bounds and a double-bogey seven saw him sign for 74 to drop to four-over for the championship.

The Ulsterman was given a lesson in links golf on a mucky day by his playing partner, the other bright young thing of golf - America's Rickie Fowler. The High School Musical hair buried beneath a peaked cap and colourful attire do not give off the look of a player equipped to contend with the wind howling and rain throwing down. But he dispelled that theory with a brilliant round of 68. After a bogey on two, he was virtually flawless from tee to green and if his putter had been sharper it could have been a far lower score. A run of birdies on 13, 15 and 16 took him to two-under for the championship.

Sergio Garcia was another player to go out in the worst of the weather and the Spaniard's challenge slipped away with a 74 to move to four-over.

Tom Watson is a master of links golf and the shocking conditions held no terrors for the 61-year-old. The five-time Open Champion turned under par, following a terrific birdie on seven. A superb bunker shot helped him save par on 10, but bogeys on 11, 12 and 15 threatened to undermine his good work. A majestic putt on 16 brought a birdie. A bogey on 18 spoilt his card somewhat, but he still carded a 72 to sit at four-over.

Amateur Tom Lewis had his big day on Thursday, but Royal St George's has bitten back on Friday and Saturday. A six-over 76 took him back to five-over and the battle for the amateur silver medal is on - with Peter Uihlein just two shots further adrift.

Elsewhere there were some huge scores posted, with four players - Paul Lawrie among them - shooting in the 80s.

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