• Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Round Three

McDowell and Donald chasing Hoey in Scotland

Michael Hoey hits from the deep rough © Getty Images

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Michael Hoey will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship as he looks to win his third European Tour title, as fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell endeavours to chase him down.

The 32-year-old recorded his third successive round of 66 on Saturday , this time at Carnoustie, to move to 18-under and give himself a healthy cushion heading into the final round at St Andrews - with just a solitary bogey in a round that included five birdies and an eagle at the 14th.

The former Walker Cup player will now have a great chance of claiming the biggest title of his career, having previously triumphed in the 2009 Open de Portugal and the Madeira Open earlier this season.

"Golf is very mental, you have to accept poor shots," Hoey said afterwards. "It's great to be in the lead in a really big tournament but there's a long way to go. Everything went very well today. My short game was unbelievable, the best it's ever been."

McDowell will be hoping to deny his compatriot, however, as he looks to confirm his return to form with a big victory. The former US Open champion started brightly at St Andrews - reaching four-under through five holes - before eventually returning his third score of 67 for the week to sit 15-under and put himself in the last group for the final round of the event.

McDowell and Hoey played on the same Great Britain & Ireland side for the 2001 Walker Cup, so the Ulsterman has long been well aware of his ability.

"Michael has always been a very talented player," McDowell said. "He's a great ball-striker, a great swing. He has always had the talent and won the British Amateur in 2001 before playing on a winning Walker Cup side.

"When he applies himself and puts it all together he's as good as anyone out there. Why he doesn't put it together more often, who knows?"

Another former major champion is on his own in third, as Louis Oosthuizen looks to record another big win at the home of golf. The South Africa returned to the site of his 2010 Open Championship victory with a solid round of 69, enough to put him at 14-under - four shots behind the leader.

A total of seven players are then grouped in a tie for fourth at 13-under, with Luke Donald perhaps the most notable name. The world No. 1 started the tournament with two low-key rounds but burst into life at St Andrews, firing a nine-under par round of 63 to equal the course record and, perhaps more importantly, leapfrog into contention as he continues his pursuit of the Race to Dubai title.

Rory McIlroy and Simon Dyson are also in that group as they look for another victory in 2011, while Padraig Harrington Tommy Fleetwood, Jaco van Zyl and George Murray will be hoping to outperform them.

Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (66) has an outside chance of making an impression on Sunday as he sits 12-under, with Lee Westwood (68) still holding out some hope just a shot further back.

Colin Montgomerie is ten-under thanks to a very impressive round of 66 at St Andrews, while former amateur Tom Lewis will be anxious to record a low score on Sunday, as his 72 on the same course leaves him down the field in a tie for 41st.

At least he managed to make the three-round cut, however, unlike a number of notable names - including 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke, Alvaro Quiros, Robert Karlsson, Ernie Els, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Retief Goosen and Thomas Bjorn.

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