Southgate and Perez lead the way as Lowry cards brilliant 64 at St Andrews

England's Matthew Southgate fired a 65 over the Old Course at St Andrews to share a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The 30-year-old made an eighth birdie of the day on his final hole to get to 20 under and join Victor Perez at the top of the leaderboard in Scotland.

Fellow Englishman Paul Waring was then at 18 under, a shot clear of American Ryder Cup star Tony Finau and Swede Joakim Lagergren.

After playing 18 holes at each of St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns over the first three days of the pro-am event, the players who have made the cut will contest the final round back at the home of golf on Sunday.

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British Open champion Shane Lowry and Ryder Cup captain Pádraig Harrington lead the Irish challenge after both made it to 13 under on Saturday.

Lowry carded a brilliant eight-under 64 at St Andrews after he made a storming start, reeling off birdies at the openeing five holes. He would also put together a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th to get to nine under for his round with three holes to play.

But any thoughts he had of equalling or breaking Ross Fisher’s Old Couse record of 61 evaporated with bogeys at the 16th and 17th before he finished with a birdie.

Harrington enjoyed a bogey-free spin around the Old Course, with three birdies on each side adding up to a six-under 66.

Rory McIlroy could only manage a two-under 70 on the Old Course at at 10 under is 10 shots off the leaders, while Graeme McDowell will miss the final dat at St Andrews after a 70 at thew course on Saturday saw him miss the cut on four under.

Playing at Carnoustie, Paul Dunne enjoyed his best round of the week, although his four-under 68 was not enough as he finished on three under.

Southgate has been a picture of consistency so far, following an opening 65 at Carnoustie with a 66 at Kingsbarns before carding another 65 over the layout where he won the 2010 St Andrews Links Trophy as an amateur.

“We’ve played 54 holes and 51 of them haven’t looked like dropping a shot, really,” he told europeantour.com.

“It’s been pretty special stuff tee to green and sticking to the game plan and ticking a lot of boxes.

“I’m so passionate about winning tournaments and being here at the home of golf tomorrow is going to be a difficult one to just keep myself in check and keep producing what I have done the first three days.

“The biggest job tomorrow is going to be keeping me in check rather than the golf swing.”

Southgate made birdies on the 10th, 13th, 17th, 18th, first, fifth and sixth and drove the par four ninth for another gain, with his only blemish coming at the 14th.

Dundee-based Frenchman Perez made nine birdies and a bogey in a 64 at Kingsbarns, while Waring carded a 65 at Carnoustie.

English pair Luke Donald and Jordan Smith were at 16 under, with countrymen Tyrrell Hatton and Matthew Jordan, and Scot Calum Hill a further shot back.

LEADERBOARD

(First three rounds played at different courses, final round played at St Andrews)

ST ANDREWS
196 Matthew Southgate 65 66 65

199 Tony Finau (USA) 67 66 66, Joakim Lagergren (Swe) 69 62 68

200 Andrea Pavan (Ita) 68 65 67, Luke Donald 68 68 64

201 Lucas Bjerregaard (Den) 67 68 66, Jeunghun Wang (Kor) 70 65 66, Tyrrell Hatton 66 68 67

202 Justin Rose 68 64 70

203 Haotong Li (Chn) 71 68 64, Alex Noren (Swe) 69 66 68, Shane Lowry 73 66 64, Callum Shinkwin 72 68 63, Robert Macintyre 71 66 66, Matthew Fitzpatrick 69 67 67, Pádraig Harrington 69 68 66

204 Eddie Pepperell 70 66 68, Danny Willett 72 66 66, Benjamin Herbert 73 64 67

205 Tommy Fleetwood 66 69 70, Johannes Veerman (USA) 72 63 70

206 Matt Wallace 70 68 68, Rory McIlroy 70 66 70, John Catlin (USA) 72 65 69, Alvaro Quiros (Esp) 70 70 66, Lee Slattery 68 66 72

207 Dean Burmester (Rsa) 73 68 66, Oliver Wilson 72 67 68, David Horsey 68 67 72

MISSED CUT

208 Jason Scrivener (Aus) 71 69 68, Wade Ormsby (Aus) 71 68 69, Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 69 69 70, Wilco Nienaber (Rsa) 75 65 68

209 David Lipsky (USA) 73 64 72, Bryce Easton (Rsa) 72 66 71, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 69 71 69, James Morrison 70 71 68

210 Lee Westwood 69 69 72

211 Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 74 69 68, Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 72 69, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 72 71 68

212 Graeme McDowell 72 70 70, Jon Rahm (Esp) 71 68 73, Branden Grace (Rsa) 72 72 68, Erik Van Rooyen (Rsa) 77 71 64

213 Chris Wood 73 72 68, Jake Roos (Rsa) 70 75 68

214 Thomas Aiken (Rsa) 73 69 72, Justin Harding (Rsa) 75 68 71, Daniel Hillier (Nzl) 71 70 73

215 Yusaku Miyazato (Jpn) 71 70 74, Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 73 70 72

216 Thomas Bjorn (Den) 73 71 72

217 Jacques Kruyswijk (Rsa) 72 73 72

223 JC Ritchie (Rsa) 75 68 80

KINGSBARNS

196 Victor Perez (Fra) 64 68 64

200 Jordan Smith 64 68 68

202 Russell Knox 66 66 70

204 Thomas Detry (Bel) 72 69 63

205 Ryan Fox (Nzl) 64 68 73, Tom Lewis 70 70 65, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 69 69 67

206 Marcus Kinhult (Swe) 66 70 70, Wil Besseling (Ned) 68 67 71

207 Matthieu Pavon (Fra) 68 71 68, Joost Luiten (Ned) 69 67 71, Julien Guerrier (Fra) 69 69 69, Grant Forrest 72 70 65, Oliver Fisher 68 69 70

MISSED CUT

208 Liam Johnston 69 69 70, Euan Walker 68 70 70, Justin Walters (Rsa) 63 71 74, George Coetzee (Rsa) 66 72 70, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 70 73 65, Matthias Schwab (Aut) 70 70 68

209 Jaco Ahlers (Rsa) 65 77 67, Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa) 67 74 68, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 69 75 65, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Esp) 68 75 66, Min Woo Lee (Aus) 70 68 71

210 Andrew Johnston 70 74 66, Robert Rock 66 71 73, Kristoffer Reitan (Nor) 65 68 77

211 Adri Arnaus (Esp) 68 70 73, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) 70 66 75, Guido Migliozzi (Esp) 69 71 71, Jack Singh Brar 68 72 71, Gavin Green (Mal) 69 73 69, Nino Bertasio (Ita) 66 73 72

212 Julian Suri (USA) 68 74 70, Kalle Samooja (Fin) 71 72 69, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 68 71 73, Richard McEvoy 69 74 69, Louis De Jager (Rsa) 70 69 73

213 Thomas Sloman 74 69 70, Andrew Sullivan 70 72 71, Stephen Gallacher 70 71 72, Jamie Donaldson 70 70 73, Chris Paisley 68 70 75, Pablo Larrazabal (Esp) 68 70 75

214 David Drysdale 75 69 70, Philip Eriksson (Swe) 76 67 71, Dimitrios Papadatos (Aus) 68 68 78, Hideto Tanihara (Jpn) 69 72 73

Adri Arnaus (Esp) 68 70 73, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) 70 66 75, Guido Migliozzi (Esp) 69 71 71, Jack Singh Brar 68 72 71, Gavin Green (Mal) 69 73 69, Nino Bertasio (Ita) 66 73 72

212 Julian Suri (USA) 68 74 70, Kalle Samooja (Fin) 71 72 69, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 68 71 73, Richard McEvoy 69 74 69, Louis De Jager (Rsa) 70 69 73

213 Thomas Sloman 74 69 70, Andrew Sullivan 70 72 71, Stephen Gallacher 70 71 72, Jamie Donaldson 70 70 73, Chris Paisley 68 70 75, Pablo Larrazabal (Esp) 68 70 75

214 David Drysdale 75 69 70, Philip Eriksson (Swe) 76 67 71, Dimitrios Papadatos (Aus) 68 68 78, Hideto Tanihara (Jpn) 69 72 73

KINGSBARNS

196 Victor Perez (Fra) 64 68 64

200 Jordan Smith 64 68 68

202 Russell Knox 66 66 70

204 Thomas Detry (Bel) 72 69 63

205 Ryan Fox (Nzl) 64 68 73, Tom Lewis 70 70 65, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 69 69 67

206 Marcus Kinhult (Swe) 66 70 70, Wil Besseling (Ned) 68 67 71

207 Matthieu Pavon (Fra) 68 71 68, Joost Luiten (Ned) 69 67 71, Julien Guerrier (Fra) 69 69 69, Grant Forrest 72 70 65, Oliver Fisher 68 69 70

MISSED CUT

208 Liam Johnston 69 69 70, Euan Walker 68 70 70, Justin Walters (Rsa) 63 71 74, George Coetzee (Rsa) 66 72 70, Richard Sterne (Rsa) 70 73 65, Matthias Schwab (Aut) 70 70 68

209 Jaco Ahlers (Rsa) 65 77 67, Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa) 67 74 68, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 69 75 65, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Esp) 68 75 66, Min Woo Lee (Aus) 70 68 71

210 Andrew Johnston 70 74 66, Robert Rock 66 71 73, Kristoffer Reitan (Nor) 65 68 77

211 Adri Arnaus (Esp) 68 70 73, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) 70 66 75, Guido Migliozzi (Esp) 69 71 71, Jack Singh Brar 68 72 71, Gavin Green (Mal) 69 73 69, Nino Bertasio (Ita) 66 73 72

212 Julian Suri (USA) 68 74 70, Kalle Samooja (Fin) 71 72 69, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 68 71 73, Richard McEvoy 69 74 69, Louis De Jager (Rsa) 70 69 73

213 Thomas Sloman 74 69 70, Andrew Sullivan 70 72 71, Stephen Gallacher 70 71 72, Jamie Donaldson 70 70 73, Chris Paisley 68 70 75, Pablo Larrazabal (Esp) 68 70 75

214 David Drysdale 75 69 70, Philip Eriksson (Swe) 76 67 71, Dimitrios Papadatos (Aus) 68 68 78, Hideto Tanihara (Jpn) 69 72 73

215 Harrison Endycott (Aus) 69 74 72, Callan O'Reilly (Aus) 68 73 74, Nicolai Hojgaard (Den) 74 69 72

216 Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 72 70 74

218 DA Points (USA) 69 75 74

222 Jake Burnage 75 70 77 227 Masahiro Kawamura (Jpn) 72 78 77

CARNOUSTIE

198 Paul Waring 65 68 65

201 Matthew Jordan 66 64 71, Calum Hill 66 65 70

202 Richie Ramsay 65 67 70

203 Aaron Rai 68 66 69

204 Robert Karlsson (Swe) 67 70 67, Ricardo Gouveia (Por) 70 67 67, Sebastian Soderberg (Swe) 71 64 69

205 Victor Dubuisson (Fra) 68 67 70, Mike Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 68 65 72, Rikard Karlberg (Swe) 69 68 68

206 Harry Hall 70 68 68, Zander Lombard (Rsa) 67 68 71 207 Tapio Pulkkanen (Fin) 65 68 74, Sam Horsfield 72 67 68, Fabrizio Zanotti (Pry) 66 71 70, Scott Jamieson 69 66 72

MISSED CUT

208 David Law 68 72 68, Neil Schietekat (Rsa) 69 67 72, Nacho Elvira (Esp) 70 67 71, Renato Paratore (Ita) 69 66 73

209 Steven Brown 69 68 72, Sihwan Kim (Kor) 74 65 70, Romain Wattel (Fra) 70 67 72, Romain Langasque (Fra) 71 68 70

210 Thriston Lawrence (Rsa) 75 66 69, Alexander Levy (Fra) 68 70 72

211 Alex Haindl (Rsa) 68 71 72, Lucas Herbert (Aus) 69 68 74, Keenan Davidse (Rsa) 75 68 68

212 Haydn Porteous (Rsa) 70 70 72, Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) 69 68 75, Brandon Stone (Rsa) 69 69 74, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 66 73 73

213 Brandon Wu (USA) 71 66 76, Ross Fisher 72 68 73, Paul Dunne 70 75 68, Bradley Dredge 72 71 70, Jens Dantorp (Swe) 73 67 73

214 Hugo Leon (Chi) 72 70 72, Terry Pilkadaris (Aus) 71 69 74, Michael Campbell (Nzl) 75 72 67, Andres Romero (Arg) 71 68 75, Jarryd Felton (Aus) 71 69 74, Adrian Otaegui (Esp) 64 74 76

215 Joachim B Hansen (Den) 70 73 72, Berry Henson (USA) 68 69 78

216 Shubhankar Sharma (Ind) 71 67 78, Jake McLeod (Aus) 74 69 73

217 Simon Hawkes (Aus) 74 69 74, Sean Crocker (USA) 71 71 75

219 Daniel Nisbet (Aus) 71 71 77, David Howell 71 70 78 221 Ashley Chesters 76 74 71

222 Michael G Palmer (Rsa) 75 73 74, Darren Fichardt (Rsa) 73 75 74