Lyle takes major step back as pinstriped Swede retains lead

A Scot in the final pairing for the third round of the Barclays Scottish Open brought them out in their droves for the first leg of golf's big fortnight in the land of the game's origins.

Sandy Lyle had not been in such a position since the Volvo Masters at Valderrama in southern Spain 10 years ago, a tournament which also saw his last victory. Sadly, he will not be in the final group today after a round of 75 put paid to his hopes of ending that victory drought.

"Winning is a tall order now," the former Open and Masters champion said. "But the golf wasn't really too bad today. A 75 doesn't reflect the way I played, not even close. All the damage was done on two holes."

Having gone to the turn in level par, the Scot came home in 39 with double-bogeys at the par-five 13th and the short 17th. On each occasion, he took four to get down from just off the green.

A birdie at the last left Lyle on three under par, eight behind his playing partner, Fredrik Jacobson. Lyle received a warm reception all the way round but the 44-year-old, who had got himself into such a strong position with earlier rounds of 67 and 68, said it was not the situation that got to him.

"Everyone was really pulling for me, which was great. But if anything, I felt more nervous yesterday. I have missed so many cuts over the years that I was still worried that I could miss out again if I had the sort of big number you can easily take on a course like this."

Jacobson, wearing a nifty pair of pinstripe trousers, maintained his lead with a level-par 71. The 27-year-old Swede, a promising ice- hockey player before turning to golf, has yet to win on the European Tour after five second places, most recently at last year's German Masters.

A strong field of winners is lined up behind him, however, with the veteran Argentinian Eduardo Romero a shot behind, Justin Rose and Australia's Stephen Leaney two back and Michael Campbell, last week's Smurfit European Open champion, among those three adrift.

Romero, just two years away from the Seniors Tour but still competitive thanks to 25-minute yoga sessions each morning and evening, birdied three of the last four holes for a 65. In the summer sunshine, conditions were comfortably the best so far this week, although it was still wet underfoot, as it always will be beside the loch.

Rose is seeking his fifth win of the year and his third on the European Tour. At 21, he would be the youngest to do so since a certain Sandy Lyle in 1979. "I enjoy being on the leaderboard," said the youngster after a 68. "It seems to bring out the best in me."

A maximum of 15 players can still make their way into the Open by their performances here now that they cannot play in Final Qualifying. There is a growing feeling that the exemption system has grown too unwieldy.

There should perhaps be a greater reliance on the world rankings while Final Qualifying may be moved by the Royal and Ancient, possibly to the Monday and Tuesday at the start of the Scottish Open week.

"I am not quite sure if the R and A have got it right," said Roger Chapman after a 66 left the veteran Englishman at seven under and in with a chance of gaining an exemption. "I'm told they are going to change things but I still feel that 132 people exempt is far too many. It's almost not an Open Championship any more, it's more like a closed- door championship. I mean the US Open only has about 85 exempt.

"At my first Open, in 1977, there were about 20 places available at each of the qualifying courses, then it came down to about 13 to 15, which might have been all right, but six on each course is just a joke."

Paul Casey was another to significantly advance his cause with the first 65 of the day which also took him to seven under. The 24-year-old from Surrey, last year's rookie of the year, has had a frustrating season to date but could turn it around by making his first appearance in the Open.

"It all depends on how I play tomorrow," he said. "Today I was fairly relaxed and I just gave myself the goal of getting on to the leaderboard. For the first two days, I was probably working too hard and stressing myself out thinking about what it all meant. Tomorrow I need to go out again and forget about it and just get on with playing good golf.

"That's the best golf I've played this year. I didn't grind as hard as I should have done in the early part of the year and that has stopped me from going out and fulfilling my potential."

A number of big names missed the cut here, including Lee Westwood, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer and Jose Maria Olazabal.

This saturated parkland course may be no pointer towards this week's challenge on the Muirfield links, but while Darren Clarke was more like his old self with a 66, Colin Montgomerie was still concerned about his game following a 69, a score he shared with Ernie Els.

"I need to get back my distance control and to do that I need to start fading the ball again rather than hooking it," said the former European No 1. "You can't play an Open without knowing how far your five-iron is going. It's a shame to be using the last two rounds of a Scottish Open just as a practice session but that's what I'm doing."