• Italian Open, Round Three

Mulroy hoping to fend off Spanish inquisition

Garth Mulroy holds a slender lead in Italy © Getty Images

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South African Garth Mulroy will take a one shot lead into the final round of the Italian Open after a third round of 66 on Saturday.

Mulroy, barely holding onto a place in the top 115 for the conclusion of the Race to Dubai, moved clear of the field at Royal Park I Roveri thanks to a stellar round, which included seven birdies and just a solitary bogey on an idyllic day on the outskirts of Turin.

That was enough to put him 17-under for the tournament and ease him ahead of Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano heading into the final round, as overnight leader Richard Bland lost ground after a tentative day's play.

Fernandez-Castano, who has said this week he is playing with less pressure as potential Ryder Cup selection is no longer a distraction for him, had an eagle at the par-five eighth and two birdies in his final two holes to shoot 67 and slip in just behind Mulroy heading into the final 18.

A whole host of players are right behind, however, with two Spaniards - Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Pablo Larrazabal - at 15-under thanks to rounds of 65 and 66 respectively.

Europe's two wildcard picks for the Ryder Cup later this month, Nicolas Colsaerts and Martin Kaymer, are both within striking distance of Mulroy at 13-under - alongside former Ryder Cup player Phillip Price and the up-and-coming Matteo Manassero.

Colsaerts has been forced to make up ground for much of the tournament after an underwhelming opening round of 71 and continued to do so with an accomplished 65, a score Kaymer could not quite match (instead settling for a 67) as both men nevertheless continued to show good form ahead of that looming Medinah showdown.

"I'm very pleased," Colsaerts said afterwards. "I played well all day and it felt like I was very chilled out on the course.

"It's almost like my mind's already somewhere else and I can just play freely. I was just trying to squeeze every shot until the end there, because I won't be leading [at the end of the day] and I wanted to get as close as possible."

Bland and Gregory Bourdy, the two men in Saturday's final group, are also 13-under - but will need to put their disappointment to one side if they are to challenge on Sunday after mediocre rounds of 71 and 70 respectively saw them slip from prominent contention.

Elsewhere, the third member of Europe's Ryder Cup team on show this week, Francesco Molinari, is well out of contention after a nightmare round of 76 saw him slump back to three-under for the tournament.

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