GOLF:Big-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros blazed a stunning bogey-free, eight-under-par 64 to head into the final round of the Qatar Masters with a one-stroke lead over South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen.
The 26-year-old Portugal Masters champion leapt to the top of the leaderboard on 16-under after following up his second-round 67, while halfway pace-setter Oosthuizen carded a solid 69 to remain in the hunt for his maiden European Tour title.
Holland’s Maarten Lafeber and 2006 Qatar champion Henrik Stenson sit tied for third at 12-under after each recording 66.
Inaugural tournament champion Andrew Coltart, who began the day three shots back of Oosthuizen in second, finished strongly with two birdies in three holes to creep up to 11-under after a third-round 70.
Damien McGrane kept up his hopes of a top-ten finish after carding a two-under 70 to put him in a tie for 13th spot on eight-under-par.
It could have been so much better for the Meathman after he birdied three of the opening four holes to move to nine-under. Dropped shots at the fifth and ninth stalled his charge, although he did pick up a further birdie at the 18th.
A hat-trick of birdies from the seventh hole proved the highlight of Rory McIlroy’s round as he also carded a 70 to move to two-under. Gary Murphy is a shot further back after a one-over 73 that included birdies at the 16th and 17th holes.
Quiros is the longest hitter on the European Tour and while he lived up to the billing today, his skill on the green proved the key to his third-round success with two mammoth 20-foot birdie putts coupled with several calm close-range finishes.
The Spaniard did though ride his luck for the second day in a row as, after yesterday watching a drive rebound off a rock and back onto the fairway, he today avoided a penalty drop despite his wayward drive down the ninth fairway landing up a tree.
Senior referee Andy McFee was forced to hand Quiros the free drop and two club lengths’ relief instead of the usual one-shot penalty as the tree was staked.
He almost took full advantage of the break as he left a birdie putt on the edge of the hole despite hacking his second shot onto a cart path.
World number two Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Australia’s Aaron Baddeley all carded third-round 67s to move up into a group at nine-under.
LEADERBOARD
(Ireland and Britain unless stated, par 72)
200Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 69 67 64
201Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 67 65 69
204Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 68 70 66, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 66 72 66
205Andrew Coltart 66 69 70
207Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 68 72 67, Anders Hansen (Den) 67 72 68, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 66 71 70, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 70 70 67, Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 69 69 69, Lee Westwood 67 73 67, Paul Broadhurst 68 70 69
208 Damien McGrane 69 69 70, Robert Dinwiddie 67 73 68, Gonzalo Fdez-Castano (Spa) 69 72 67, Johan Edfors (Swe) 72 67 69
209Brett Rumford (Aus) 67 69 73, Alexander Noren (Swe) 72 71 66, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 69 73 67, Andrew McLardy (Rsa) 70 69 70, Thomas Levet (Fra) 71 70 68
210Anthony Wall 70 70 70, Stephen Gallacher 72 69 69, Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) 69 72 69
211Robert Karlsson (Swe) 68 72 71, Hennie Otto (Rsa) 73 69 69, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 70 71 70, Nick Dougherty 68 72 71, Simon Dyson 72 70 69, Bradley Dredge 74 67 70
212Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 70 71 71, Peter Hanson (Swe) 72 69 71, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 70 72 70, Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 71 72 69, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 70 68 74
213Francesco Molinari (Ita) 72 70 71, Mikko Ilonen (Fin) 71 71 71, Adam Scott (Aus) 73 70 70, Soren Hansen (Den) 72 71 70, Markus Brier (Aut) 70 71 72, Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 73 71 69, Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) 71 70 72
214 Rory McIlroy 76 68 70, Richard Finch 73 67 74, Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 71 73, Joakim Haeggman (Swe) 73 70 71, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 71 72 71, Ross McGowan 73 66 75, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 71 73 70
215Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 72 71 72, Gary Murphy 71 71 73, David Howell 71 71 73, Paul Lawrie 72 71 72, Marcel Siem (Ger) 72 71 72, Danny Willett 73 71 71, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 71 73 71, Peter Hedblom (Swe) 69 71 75
216Stephen Dodd 70 72 74, Oliver Wilson 69 73 74, Thomas Bjorn (Den) 70 73 73, Jamie Donaldson 70 73 73
217Scott Strange (Aus) 72 71 74, Gregory Bourdy (Fra) 73 71 73, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa) 73 71 73
218Steve Webster 72 71 75, Ross Fisher 71 71 76
219Alvaro Velasco (Spa) 76 68 75
220Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 68 75 77
221Graeme Storm 72 72 77
