Golf:Pádraig Harrington is on course for his first win in two years after a four-under-par 68 opened up a five-stroke lead ahead of the final round of the Iskandar Johor Open. The Irishman, who has not won a tournament since the 2008 USPGA Championship, played the round with a neck injury but showed no ill effects as he fired five birdies and one bogey at the Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club in Malaysia.
Harrington has been in scintillating form at the tournament so far and his lead could have been greater had he made a short birdie chance on 16, although he conceded his injury troubled him throughout.
"If I wasn't leading, I would have definitely pulled out. It's still a problem. It was a bit better at the end but it was a substantial problem," said the three-time Major winner.
"It eased up a little bit on 16 but I didn't finish very well. But maybe sometimes when you are injured, it makes you relax a bit more. You accept poor shots and get on with it. My attitude was good all the way through.
"There is a lot to play for. It gives a chance to the field, to a number of guys who are close enough. If someone goes out there and shoots 64, it might put some pressure on me. My goal will be to shoot in the 60s. If someone beats me, I'll be patting them on the back and saying 'well done'."
Harrington has a three-day total of 17 under 199 at the Asian Tour event and is comfortably ahead of second-placed Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei, who picked up two birdies in his last four holes for an even-par 72.
Singaporean Mardan Mamat shot a 70 and is third, six shots behind Harrington while South Korea's Noh Seung-yul (71) and Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat (69) are tied fourth.
Colin Montgomerie equalled his best round of the year with a 68 and is in a share of seventh place with defending champion KJ Choi.
The Scot recently conceded the Ryder Cup captaincy had taken its toll on his playing form but enjoyed a blemish-free run on his outward nine while collecting four birdies to reach the turn at four under.
Montgomerie mixed two birdies with two bogeys coming home but is well placed for a decent finish at the tournament on seven under.
Collated third round scores & totals in the Asian Tour Iskandar Johor Open, Royal Johor CC, Johor Bahru, Malaysia (Par: 72)
199 Pádraig Harrington (Irl) 64 67 68
204Lin Wen-Tang (Tpe) 67 65 72
205Mardan Mamat (Sin) 68 67 70
206Noh Seung-Yul (Kor) 66 69 71, Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha) 64 73 69,
208Scott Barr (Aus) 67 70 71
209Scott Hend (Aus) 68 67 74, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 67 69 73, Jason Knutzon (USA) 70 66 73, Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) 71 67 71, Marcus Both (Aus) 64 74 71, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 67 71 71, K.J. Choi (Kor) 70 70 69, Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 70 71 68
210Lee Sung (Kor) 66 68 76, Kwanchai Tannin (Tha) 69 70 71, Frankie Minoza (Phi) 72 68 70, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 68 73 69, Siddikur (Ban) 70 72 68
211Rahil Gangjee (Ind) 72 67 72, James Kamte (Rsa) 72 68 71, Pariya Junhasavasdikul (Tha) 70 72 69, Han Seung-Su (Kor) 73 70 68
212Sattaya Supupramai (Tha) 69 70 73, Choi Jin-Ho (Kor) 69 70 73, Angelo Que (Phi) 68 73 71, Corey Harris (USA) 73 68 71, Antonio Lascuna (Phi) 71 71 70, Chinnarat Phadungsil (Tha) 73 70 69, Kang Sung-Hoon (Kor) 77 67 68
213Marcus Fraser (Aus) 69 69 75, Digvijay Singh (Ind) 71 69 73, Jbe Kruger (Rsa) 71 69 73, Oscar Fraustro (Mex) 70 71 72, Ben Leong (Mal) 70 73 70, Gavin Flint (Aus) 71 72 70
214Hwang In-Choon (Kor) 67 69 78, M. Murugiah (Sin) 67 71 76, Martin Rominger (Swi) 70 70 74, Unho Park (Aus) 72 68 74, Ahmad Bateman (Can) 72 69 73, Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) 69 72 73, Kodai Ichihara (Jpn) 70 72 72, David Gleeson (Aus) 71 71 72, Mark Purser (Nzl) 71 71 72, Artemio Murakami (Phi) 71 72 71, Anirban Lahiri (Ind) 77 67 70, Adam Blyth (Aus) 75 69 70
215Rohan Blizard (Aus) 72 69 74
216Iain Steel (Mal) 69 72 75, Young Nam (Kor) 70 73 73, Danny Chia (Mal) 73 70 73, Juvic Pagunsan (Phi) 68 75 73, Richard Moir (Aus) 73 70 73, Keith Horne (Rsa) 74 69 73
217Peter Cooke (Aus) 70 69 78, Rikard Karlberg (Swe) 71 71 75, Chan Yih-Shin (Tpe) 70 72 75, Shaaban Hussin (Mal) 72 71 74, Prom Meesawat (Tha) 73 70 74, Lu Wei-Chih (Tpe) 74 69 74, M. Sasidaran (Mal) 76 68 73
218Peter Karmis (Rsa) 75 69 74, Simon Griffiths (Eng) 75 69 74
219Rory Hie (Ina) 72 69 78, Lam Chih Bing (Sin) 75 66 78, Jason King (Aus) 71 73 75
220Sung Mao-Chang (Tpe) 70 73 77
224Udorn Duangdecha (Tha) 72 71 81