Morgan set to secure passport for US Tour

John Morgan fired a three-under-par 69 to take the fourth-round lead at the US Tour qualifying school in La Quinta, California.

The 24-year-old rookie from Bristol, on the 15-under-par mark of 273, held a one-stroke advantage over Scott Laycock, with another Australian, Anthony Painter, another stroke behind in third. The top 35 players and ties will earn their cards after the final two rounds.

Morgan was bemused by his success. "This is just unbelievable," he said. "I mean, I'm leading the US Tour School. What the heck is going on?"

Morgan, who turned professional in April and finished eighth on the European Challenge Tour, has already earned a European Tour card for the 2003 season. "I would assume having my European Tour card takes some of the pressure off," he added. "Everybody wants to play over here, but it is nice having a place to play if you don't succeed."

Elsewhere in California, Padraig Harrington upstaged the tournament host, Tiger Woods, with a course record nine-under-par 63 at the Target World Challenge in Thousand Oaks to go into the final round six shots ahead of the world No 1, who is also the defending champion at the élite 16-player event.

Playing alongside Woods, Harrington eagled three of the par fives on the Sherwood Country Club course as he went on to card a 19-under-par total of 197.

For the third consecutive day, Woods carded seven birdies, but his good work was wasted by five bogeys. The American missed several short putts early in his round of 70, which proved his worst of the week after rounds of 65 and 68 earlier in the tournament.

Woods acknowledged: "Padraig played a beautiful round of golf. I've always said he's one of the best players in the world and he proved it today."

After Harrington, the next best score of the day came from Bernhard Langer, whose 67 left him one shot behind Woods on 12 under par. Nick Price and David Toms finished one stroke further back, with Colin Montgomerie and Jim Furyk another shot adrift after both carded 68s.

In Melbourne, Peter Lonard won his second Australian Masters title in dramatic fashion when he beat Gavin Coles on the third play-off hole at Huntingdale, after a fourth round of 66 had brought him into the final reckoning.

The Australian trio of the overnight leader Adam Scott, Coles and Lonard each shot four-round totals of 279 to finish on nine under par and go into the play-off. Scott carded three birdies and two bogeys in his 71 while Coles carded a 70.

Lonard secured victory only after escaping from a fairway bunker at the first play-off hole with a seven-iron shot of 160 yards on to the green.

Nick Faldo tied for 15th place on 286 after third and fourth rounds of 67 and 71. The American teenager Ty Tryon, the youngest player to win a US PGA Tour playing card, finished on a one-over-par total 289 after a fourth-round 70.