Karlsson remains on course

Robert Karlsson promised a marshal "as many beers as he wants" after staying on course for the European Order of Merit title at the Volvo Masters at Valderrama today. Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen leads the season-ending event by three from Sergio Garcia after a brilliant six-under-par 65.

But despite only managing a 73 Karlsson is still looking good for the money list crown as Pádraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Miguel Angel Jimenez, the only three players who can overtake him, are not where they need to be.

The Swede's round was slipping away from him when he drove into bushes on the long 11th, but the marshal risked cutting himself to ribbons by crawling in to retrieve the ball.

"We could see five balls in there, but couldn't identify them," said Karlsson. "There were a lot of thorns and things, but he volunteered to go in and found it."

It meant Karlsson did not have to go all the way back to the tee, and after salvaging a par on the hole he birdied the 15th and 18th for an inward 34.

Harrington, who requires a top-two finish to have a chance of regaining the number one spot, managed only a 76 to be joint 43rd of the 57-strong field.

Westwood and Jimenez, who have to win on Sunday, finished the day tied for fifth and 16th respectively after returning 70 and 73.

The day belonged to Kjeldsen, though, on his return to the course where he lost a play-off to Justin Rose a year ago.

One of Kjeldsen's backers is troubled Icelandic bank Landsbanki, but with a first prize of more than €708,000 on offer this weekend - and career earnings of over €4million - he does not need and is not looking for any sympathy.

"A lot of people are worse off than me, losing their jobs," said the 33-year-old after one of the rounds of his life. "Whether I lose a little bit of sponsorship or not I am going to be okay."

Best of the Irish is Darren Clarke on level par, with Graeme McDowell a shot behind him.

Damien McGrane and Rory McIlroy are both three over, one shot ahead of Peter Lawrie and two in front of Paul McGinley and Harrington.

Justin Rose's hopes of making a better job of his title defence than his Order of Merit defence lay in tatters after an opening nine-over par 80 left him dead last. The world number 16 said afterwards that he was not certain to play in next week's event in China.

Playing on his own at the start of the 57-strong field - he qualified not off the money list, but as the holder of the title - Rose's round included a triple bogey on the 17th, where he chipped into the water after pitching over the green.

Already 12 strokes behind the early leader, fellow Englishman Anthony Wall, the 28 year-old described his performance as "terrible."

Rose lies 81st on the Order of Merit and unless he climbs 30 places his defence of the Harry Vardon Trophy will be the worst since Dale Hayes in 1976.

He added: "I'm just playing poorly right now - everything is hard work."

When asked about the three events he still has on his schedule before Christmas Rose stated: "Maybe."

The first is the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, opening event of next season's "Race To Dubai", but Rose commented: "The only reason to play there is to get a result under my belt, but at the moment it feels like a waste of time.