Newport, Jun 01: England's Ian Poulter allowed a six-shot third-round lead to melt away to only two strokes at the Wales Open on Saturday (May 31), leaving home favourite Phillip Price with a chance. Poulter, leader for the first two rounds despite suffering with a bout of tonsillitis, began birdie-eagle and tripled his overnight two-shot lead by the 13th with a blistering run. But he then stumbled with two bogeys and a double-bogey over the next three holes and had to settle for a four-under-par 68 at Wentwood Hills. His 16-under-par 200 aggregate left him only two strokes better than playing-partner Price, the man who pipped him for a 2001 European Ryder Cup place by claiming the final qualifying 10th spot in Europe's points table to Poulter's 11th. Price, trying to become the first home winner of the event, was less spectacular than Poulter, but he battled hard coming home to preserve a blemish-free 68 that kept him a stroke ahead of Fredrik Jacobson.

The Swede's 64 would have broken the old course record but Australian Jarrod Moseley, four off the lead with Scotland's Andrew Coltart, had already taken the record by two shots with a flawless nine-under-par 63 with birdies at the last four holes.


Despite leading for three rounds now, Poulter acknowledged he had let the field get back at him, but felt a closing birdie might just be enough for him to still take his fourth title.


Welshman Price, finding himself two strokes behind Poulter just as he had been at the start of Saturday's round, said he was going to have to 'up' his game to beat Poulter.


Leading scores after the third round of the Wales Open golf tournament at the par-72 Celtic Manor course on Saturday (British unless stated): 200 Ian Poulter 65 67 68 202 Phillip Price 68 66 68 203 Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 71 68 64 204 Jarrod Moseley (Australia) 74 67 63, Andrew Coltart 68 69 67 205 Jonathan Lomas 66 71 68, Darren Fichardt (South Africa) 68 67 70, Mark McNulty (Zimbabwe) 69 67 69 206 Barry Lane 69 71 66 207 Bradley Dredge 71 69 67, Jamie Donaldson 68 71 68, Peter Fowler (Australia) 67 72 68, Santiago Luna (Spain) 68 69 70, Nick O'Hern (Australia) 65 72 70 208 Christian Cevaer (France) 71 72 65, Jarmo Sandelin (Sweden) 67 73 68, Iain Pyman 73 67 68

Bureau Report