Johnnie Walker Classic: Colin Montgomerie walked onto the last green sharing the lead today and walked off it trailing.

The good news for the Scot was that, unlike last Sunday at the US Open, there is still a round to come in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

The bad, however, was that Montgomerie was not sure he has the reserves of energy - or the power required on this particular course - to overhaul new leader Paul Casey.

After trailing by three midway through the third round Casey came home in a brilliant five-under-par 32 for a best-of-the-day 66 and a one-stroke lead over his Ryder Cup team-mate.

They stand 15 under and 14 under respectively, with Danes Thomas Bjorn and Soren Hansen and also Australian Brett Rumford two strokes further back.

After everything he put into last week's major, the anguish he suffered by double-bogeying the last hole to lose by one and, of course, any lingering jetlag it was no surprise that Montgomerie admitted to flagging.

He still managed a four-under-par 69 and, with a record as good as his and the backing of a home crowd, he might still win. But the way he spoke afterwards it will be against the odds.

Stephen Browne leads the Irish challenge on six under following today's two under 71. That leaves him one shot ahead of the fellow Dubliner Peter Lawrie who also shot 71.

Paul McGinley (72) is a shot further back on four under and will rue how he played the closing holes, dropping three shots over the final four holes.

David Higgins carded a 76 to be level par, one better than Damien McGrane (74).