• Scandinavian Open, Round Three

Johnson grabs his chance as Oosthuizen lurks

Richard S Johnson shares the lead after 54 holes © Getty Images

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Sweden's Richard S Johnson snatched a share of the lead on his home event as Open champion Louis Oosthuizen remains ominiously poised, one shot off the pace at the Scandinavian Masters in Stockholm.

Johnson has shown impressive consistency all week, hitting just four bogeys in three rounds, and the Swede was rewarded with an early lead after a two-shot swing on the fourth hole. Johnson holed a five-foot birdie putt to move ahead of playing partner K J Choi, who three-putted to slip to eight-under.

Johnson failed to kick on, however, and was on level-par after ten holes. But birdies on the 13th and 15th holes helped him finish the day level with Choi on ten-under, after the Korean could only manage a one-under-par 71.

Oosthuizen is ominiously poised one shot off the pace on nine-under. The South African had the chance to end the day level with Choi and Johnson at the top of the leaderboard, but ended his round with a bogey-five on the final hole, the first time he has dropped a shot on the 18th in three rounds.

The round of the day belonged to New Zealand's Mark Brown, who stormed up the leaderboard with a stunning round of 67. A single bogey on the tenth was the only blemish on an otherwise flawless round of six birdies.

Brown is tied for fourth on seven-under with Argentina's Rafa Echenique, who went round in par, while Edoardo Molinari is four shots off the pace after a round of 71 which was peppered with five birdies and four bogeys.

Northern Ireland's Michael Hoey moved up to seven under after shooting three birdies to complete the front nine in 33, but a double bogey on the 11th undid much of his good work, before a bogey-bogey finish left him back on four-under, where he started the day.

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