Gary Player's two tips for the top in the world of golf, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, must attempt to outdo each other today on the Gut Kaden course in Hamburg as they shoot for a £183,340 first prize in the final round of the Deutsche Bank Open.
Player has warned both golfers they need to shed a few pounds if they want to reach their full potential. But Westwood proved the heavyweight as far as scoring went in yesterday's third round as the young Englishman powered to a brilliant, 11-under-par 61. It was just one stroke worse than the European record for 18 holes and two better than the course record.
But Clarke, who shares that European record for 18 holes after his memorable 60 in the 1992 Monte Carlo Open, is ahead on points. The Ulsterman still shares the lead, this time with England's Paul Broadhurst. Both shot 65s to be 18-under-par, one ahead of Westwood and US Masters champion Mark O'Meara.
Bernhard Langer, the other overnight leader with Clarke, fell away. The two were paired yesterday, and not only did the Irishman produce tremendous powers of concentration to ignore the always fidgety and often naive German gallery, he outdid Langer at almost every turn.
Especially at the last hole. After missing two late birdie opportunities at the par-five 15th and 17th holes, Clarke instead took the 16th and 18th for birdies. And his stunning four-iron approach to just four feet on the last for a fifth birdie to go with an earlier eagle made his day. It was not the finish the partisan gallery had in mind. They had to watch "St Bernhard" fluff a chip to leave himself five strokes behind his playing-partner and Broadhurst going into the final round.
But Clarke knows how strong the German is on his home patch, and warned "nothing would surprise me about Bernhard in Germany".
Clarke fired his day with a neat little six-footer on the first, took two putts to reduce the long third to a four, then hit a splendid, snaking 25-footer into the cup on the long sixth for eagle.
The birdies dried up a little after another six-footer went to ground on the 12th, but then Clarke came up with the goods, holing from 20 feet on 16 and then producing his shot of the day on the last.
"You do have to keep your concentration, although we were never slow," he said. "There was a lot of moving about and I only heard two Irish voices out there all afternoon.
"I didn't birdie the 15th and 17th like I'd planned, but birdied the ones after. On the last I had 190 yards to the flag into the wind and went down the shaft of a four-iron to hit it to four feet.
"It's going to be a tight finish I'm sure, because the birdies are out there to be shot. Anyone within four strokes of the lead has a realistic chance.
"I'm not sure about the 59, though. You have to get pretty lucky on the greens to do that. These greens, too, are very subtle and tremendously difficult to read."
Like his stablemate, Westwood is making a concerted effort to slim, losing five pounds recently by cutting out sweets and soft drinks. He cut the course down to size in spectacular fashion with nine birdies and an eagle.
There were also fine feats achieved by other Irish players, none more welcome than Philip Walton's 65 to move to 12-underpar. The Malahide man looks to have at last turned the corner this year after five missed cuts, and now eyes a big cheque.
Paul McGinley lost his way on Saturday but refound it with a 66 to be 11-under-par. "I'm glad I got back into the way I've been playing, but I shot myself in the foot with my 74 in the second round," conceded the K Club professional.
Eamonn Darcy looked as though he would settle on a similar total, but two late bogeys disappointed the Druids Glen professional as he had to settle for nine-under-par with a 67.
Padraig Harrington (72) and Raymond Burns (73) find themselves sharing last place, despite being three-under-par.
