Golf: James makes move

ENGLAND'S Mark James is on course to end a barren spell of two and a half years after three rounds of the pounds 250,000 Madeira Island Open, the first event of the European golf season.

The 39-year-old Ryder Cup player, one ahead at halfway, doubled that advantage with a third-day 70, but said: 'I still don't want to shoot more than 69 tomorrow because somebody else is bound to score a 67 or 68.'

On the six-under-par total of 210 James has Trinidad's Stephen Ames as his nearest challenger, the 28-year-old also hitting a 70 as he continued his challenge for victory in his first European tour event.

Joint third, a stroke further back, are three more Ryder Cup men - Ronan Rafferty, of Ireland, Paul Broadhurst and Gordon J Brand - together with Jeff Hall.

James's last success came in the 1990 English Open at The Belfry, the course where he hopes to make his sixth Ryder Cup appearance this September. The pounds 41,660 top prize would take him into the leading 10 in the points table.

MADEIRA ISLAND OPEN (Funchal) Leading third-round scores (GB and Irl unless stated): 210 M James 71 69 70. 212 S Ames (Trin) 70 72 70. 213 J Hall 65 77 71; R Rafferty 73 73 67; P Broadhurst 72 71 70; G J Brand 71 72 70. 214 J Spence 72 69 73. 215 A Hare 76 70 69; G Ralph 72 74 69; O Eskildsen (Den) 68 76 71; R Boxall 72 72 71; C Mason 72 72 71; D W Basson (SA) 73 71 71; J Robinson 74 70 71; A Hunter 70 73 72; R Chapman 67 75 73. 216 P McGinley 70 77 69; D Gilford 73 73 70; O Karlsson (Swe) 73 72 71; A Sherborne 74 71 71; D Smyth 70 74 72; G Brand jnr 69 75 72; P Mitchell 71 73 72; A Binaghi (It) 72 70 74; J Payne 71 71 74. 217 S Torrance 70 77 70; S Tinning (Den) 72 77 68; S Richardson 71 73 73; D Williams 72 72 73. 218 C Hardin (Swe) 73 69 76; R Lee 74 70 74.