• Honda Classic, Round Three

Sabbatini grabs five-shot lead as Brits all struggle

Jerry Kelly didn't always see his ball so clearly during his round on Saturday © PA Photos

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Sabbatini holds nerve to win sixth PGA Tour title
  
• Profile: Luke Donald | Graeme McDowell | Rory McIlroy | Ian Poulter | Lee Westwood

Leaderboard

Rory Sabbatini engineered a five-shot lead for himself atop the leaderboard going into the final day of the Honda Classic with an impressive round of 66, enough for a dominant nine-under par total.

After tearing up a course most players have struggled with all week on Friday - eventually recording a six-under round of 64 - Sabbatini continued his great form with a round that saw just one bogey and five birdies as he built a fine platform for victory on Sunday.

The South African moved to the front of the pack as overnight leader Kyle Stanley struggled at the PGA National Champion Course at Palm Beach Gardens.

Seemingly flustered by playing in the final group, Stanley struggled like so many others - with a double bogey on the 11th the lowlight of a round that saw three further bogeys and left him barely within touching distance at two-under.

Otherwise the day's biggest drama was provided by Jerry Kelly, who needed the help of a cameraman and his high-powered lense to accurately identify his ball after it lodged in a tree on the sixth. After proving it was indeed his ball by the markings shown up on the photograph, Kelly took a one-shot penalty and a drop for an unplayable ball - rather than going back and hitting three from the tee - which enabled him to make a bogey five and keep his momentum going after three early birdies.

The stroke of fortune enabled Kelly to provide the strongest challenge to Sabbatini after a round of 68 and a four-under total, one that would have been much better if not for two bogeys over the last three holes. As it was, he was joined up YE Yang as Sabbatini's main pursuer: the 2009 USPGA champion carding a great 67 that, conversely, ended with two birdies to put himself in with a shout.

Starting the day the most likely of the English contenders, Lee Westwood saw his hopes of victory - and returning to No. 1 in the world rankings - effectively ended for another week after a horror run of four consecutive bogeys to conclude his round.

Three over at the turn, Westwood looked to have recovered with birdies on 12 and 14 - but failing to get up-and-down from the bunker on 18 consigned him to a round of 75 and mediocre four-over total.

Luke Donald failed to emulate Friday's solid round of 68 but still fared better than Westwood, signing for a 72 that leaves him three-over and with virtually no chance of recording back-to-back PGA Tour victories after last week's triumph in the WGC Match Play.

Graeme McDowell was a shot further back, after finding a birdie on the 18th to card a level-par 70 for the day, while Rory McIlory will do little more than go through the motions on Sunday after a seven-over 77 that leaves only nine players below him on the leaderboard.

Ian Poulter, after shooting a 73 that leaves him adrift at eight-over, could not hide his frustration as he took to Twitter:

"Why didn't I book the dentist, colonic irrigation, paint the garden fence, arrange my stamps, iron my whole sock draw this week, more fun," Poulter said. "I'm actually playing really nicely. It's just really wearing to hit shots to 30 ft and 2 putt all day. Gets kind of boring."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.