GOLF SINGAPORE OPEN:WHILE THE old guard of Irish golf are facing the prospect of an unscheduled couple of days kicking their heels, Graeme McDowell heads into yet another weekend of a big event at the business end of the leaderboard.

The Rathmore man, chasing Martin Kaymer hard as the Race to Dubai enters the home straight, will start today’s third round of the Singapore Open just three behind halfway leader Adam Scott.

McDowell, who was among 108 players who returned to the Sentosa Golf Club early yesterday morning to finish their weather-hit first round, resumed on five under and swiftly set about climbing up the standings.

Ireland’s Ryder Cup hero picked up shots at each of the first four holes before he lost momentum with a bogey at the fifth.

Another birdie on the 13th was again given back to the course and McDowell would sign for a 68 and a nine under total.

That left him three adrift of two-time winner Adam Scott, who surged to the top of the leaderboard with a second consecutive six-under 65 for 12 under, while defending champion Ian Poulter finished on 10 under.

Scott, who won the event in 2005 and 2006, produced a blistering 29 on the Tanjong course’s front nine but stuttered coming home. Poulter roared into contention with a 29 of his own, on the back nine at Tanjong, putting the exclamation mark on a round of 63 with a snaking, 100-foot putt on the last.

McDowell shares third place with Fredrik Andersson Hed, Kyung-nam Kang and Joost Luiten. Michael Hoey moved through the field with a 67 to finish on six under but Gareth Maybin, who headed the Irish challenge in the opening round, could only manage a one over 72 yesterday and dropped to five under.

With 28 players still to complete their second rounds, the cut has yet to be decided but Pádraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley are on the wrong side of the number as it stands.

Of the three, Harrington (two under) has the best opportunity to keep himself busy over the weekend but will need at least one birdie in his final three holes.

Clarke, also with three to play, is a shot further back while McGinley (seven over) won’t even be able to book an early flight home as he has six holes of his second round remaining.

Scott has no such concerns and the Australian was able to reflect on a job well done despite a pedestrian finish.

“It was a good day overall. It was a long day – 30 holes of golf – so I’m pleased with the outcome overall,” he said after his round. “It was a shame to slow down a bit on the back nine but that’s golf I suppose.”

Scott said that despite his sensational run on the front nine he never really gave much thought about a sub-60 round.

“With nine holes to play you can’t really be thinking about that and when I turned into the back nine I knew I wouldn’t be that close today.”

Spain’s Ignacio Garrido had made the best of the early risers to grab a one-shot lead after the first round. The 38-year-old flirted with a 59 before settling for a nine-under 62 alongside Chris Wood and Kim Bi-o of South Korea.

However, Garrido found life much more difficult on the Serapong course and plummeted down the leaderboard with an eight-over 79 and is likely to miss the cut.

Two separate par-71 courses are being used for the first time with the 204-man field playing a round on each and those making the cut completing the final 36 holes on Serapong.