Jonzon has eye on the prize

Castello Masters:Sweden's Michael Jonzon, with one European Tour win in 290 starts and fighting for his future, leads the Castello Masters in Spain with a round to play. The former Portuguese Open champion is 158th on the money list and needs to finish first or second to be sure of keeping his Tour card.

But even after a six-under-par 65 swept him to 16 under, Jonzon is under enormous pressure because joint second are defending champion Sergio Garcia on his home course and also Martin Kaymer, who can return to the top of the Order of Merit by winning his first event since breaking toes in a go-kart crash in August.

For a while it looked as though England’s Sam Hutsby, playing only his third Tour event as a professional, was going to provide the story of the day.

The 20-year-old from Hampshire, runner-up in the British Amateur in June and a Walker Cup debutant last month, kept pace with Jonzon for much of the round, but he bogeyed the last for a 66 that sent him down to fourth place on 14 under.

Darren Clarke is the nearest Irish challenger after carding a 68 to move to eight-under-par, while Gary Murphy is one under after a 72.

Jonzon, fourth at halfway two behind Kaymer and Australian Robert Allenby, turned in 33 and then added further birdies at the 10th, 13th and 14th before parring in.

He is 482nd in the world, whereas Garcia is ranked 10th and Kaymer 12th.

Hutsby, though, is down at 1,374th - the position given to all those who have zero ranking points.

On his two previous starts since switching codes he missed the cut at the Dunhill Links and Madrid Masters, but this time he has been making the most of an invitation from tournament host Garcia.

"I'm enjoying every minute," he said. "It's not really sunk in yet that I'm playing on Tour. Hopefully I can sleep well tonight and then keep to my course management plan under pressure."

If he was to win he would instantly earn a two-year exemption without the need to go to the qualifying school.

Garcia shot a bogey-free 67, saving par from 18 feet on the last after driving into sand, while Kaymer came back from a double bogey at the short second to record a 68.

Allenby dropped two shots on the second after going over the green and then chipping into water and fell back to seventh with a level par 71.

Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, is in a share of 12th place after a day that began in nightmare fashion, but ended on a real high.

Completing his third round first, Montgomerie had double bogeys at the 16th and 17th to fall 10 behind, but then birdied the last and followed with a 64 that was his lowest round since his last victory at the 2007 European Open.

"I've gone back to a short putter and am putting much better," he said. "But this year has a complete and utter ... one to write off.

"I need to go and get my game sorted out - my irons are not accurate enough."

He is 98th on the money list and has not finished that low since he turned professional in 1987.