IAN WOOSNAM is poised to secure a third Scottish Open victory after sinking a 25-foot putt on Carnoustie's last green yesterday to be the only player under par after 54 holes of unrelenting struggle on the windswept Angus links.
The Welshman's strike for a bogey five at the 472-yard par four gave him his second 70 of the week, and a two-under-par total of 214. He will start today's final stage with a three-stroke advantage over Russell Claydon, with Colin Montgomerie, Paul Lawrie, American Jay Townsend and Dutchman Rolf Muntz sharing third place on 218.
Ten more players are within six shots of the former US Masters champion, but despite a considerable abatement of the wind yesterday, no one was able to better the exhibition of quality strokeplay and patience that has taken Woosnam to the brink of a third victory on the 1996 European Tour.
Paul Broadhurst might have done so when he stood three under for the day on the last tee, but he then took seven after taking five putts, four of them from little more than four feet. Townsend might also have bettered Woosnam after matching his two birdies and an eagle in the first five inward holes. But the American finished with three bogeys in a row for a 74.
Ireland's challengers had long since ceased to be a threat. Des Smyth had a third successive 75 for a nine-over-par 225, but along with the other four Irishmen who escaped the halfway cut, will he heading for the Lancashire coast tonight to prepare for the British Open Final Qualifying. By then Woosnam hopes to have wrapped things up, although he is not noted as a links specialist, despite his two Irish Open victories at Portmarnock.
This week, helped by coach Bill Ferguson, whom he shares with Montgomerie, he has relished the challenge of taming Carnoustie. "I am enjoying it although anything can still happen, just like at the 18th," he said. There Woosnam only just missed the fairway with his drive, but his ball was buried in the rough and he shanked his recovery into a fairway bunker where he found it plugged under the lip. He was forced to play out sideways and needed an eight iron for his fourth shot.
However Woosnam's putter remained hot, and with a six beckoning, he nursed home his ball from the same range from which he had holed at the 10th and 13th for birdies. In between he hit a majestic one iron from 245 yards at the 12th that finished only six feet from the hole for an eagle three.
Montgomerie headed straight for the practice ground after a 71 that left him feeling lucky. "I won't be that fortunate again," he commented. "That is as pad as I have played in the last six years, and I have got to start hitting it straight again.
Claydon recovered from a double bogey at the 13th where he took two shots in a bunker to slip into second place, after Robert Allenby, winner of the English and French titles in the last six weeks, had failed to make a menacing move on his 25th birthday.
The Australian took sevens at the sixth and 10th and collapsed to an 80. Although Sandy Lyle became the first to beat the 70 barrier with six birdies in a 68, and Jesper Parnevik, Jim Payne and Andrew Coltart all shot 69, Allenby was not alone in his discomfort. Eamonn Darcy had 75, and a 12-over total of 228 left him without hope of securing one of the five special British Open places on offer today.
Paul McGinley and David Feherty also ruled themselves out by taking 79, for 230 and 231 respectively, while Ronan Rafferty had 80 to prop up the field on 233.
Smyth had two birdies in the first six holes, but it all got away from him around the turn as he was hunkered at the seventh, in the rough at the ninth, and in sand again at the 10th. Then he had the first of three triple putts at the 11th. Although he made his four at the long 12th, three putts on the 14th and 15th greens confined him to the pack, although he signed off with a flourish by holing from 20 feet for a three at the 18th.
"It was the easiest day of the week but I threw away a lot of shots," he said. "I will be heading down to the Open as fast as possible on Saturday in order to walk the Southport and Ainsdale course in the evening," he said.
McGinley had the highest hopes of avoiding the British Open ordeal, but his outward 40 yesterday removed the last vestiges of hope. He had double bogey sixes at the ninth and the 15th and emerged with a card that contained only one birdie. "I have no excuses," he said. "I wasn't on my game and I was penalised for my bad shots, which is what happens on a course as severe as this."
Feherty, who took 40 to get home, did not have a single putting success, his work on the greens being as lacklustre as on the two previous days. There was no improvement on the inner ear infection that is affecting his balance and he is getting depressed about his inability to round off excellent approach play.
"If I telephoned the Samaritans they would probably hang up on me", he remarked. "It really will be a tilt at the Open if this wobbly feeling persists. The doctor warned me that it would not go away in a hurry, so I am thinking of doubling up with the medicine."
He is off at Formby tomorrow, while McGinley will join Darcy and Rafferty at St Anne's Old.
