AUSTRALIAN ADAM SCOTT, seeking his first major title, fired a two-under par 68 this evening to seize a commanding four-stroke lead after the third round of the British Open at Royal Lytham.
Scott, who began the day one stroke off the pace, birdied the par-5 seventh and par-4 eighth, added another at the par-5 11th and took his lone bogey of the round at the par-4 13th before parring his way to the clubhouse. The Aussie stood on 11-under 199, one stroke off the Open’s 54-hole record, to stand four strokes ahead of Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, his partner in Sunday’s final pairing, and American Brandt Snedeker, who stumbled to a 73.
McDowell, the 2010 US Open champion and runner-up at last month’s US Open, fired a 67 to stand second alongside Snedeker on 203.
Tiger Woods, trying for his 15th major title and his first major triumph since the 2008 US Open, fired a 70 to stand fourth on 204, one stroke ahead of 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson and three-time major winner Ernie Els.
