TURIN: South Africa’s Garth Mulroy carded a six-under-par 66 to take a one-shot lead after the third round of the Italian Open yesterday.

Mulroy, sitting only one shot behind overnight leader Richard Bland, started with a birdie at the first and made up for a bogey at the fifth by reeling off three successive birdies in his outward nine.

At the turn he birdied the 10th and 13th holes and finished with another birdie at the last.

Mulroy, who said the Royal Park I Roveri reminded him of courses back home, would receive a huge boost in the event of victory.

“I haven’t played so well this year. It would be a big thing to win on mainland Europe, especially with the purse here and the two-year exemption,” he said.

But with nine players only four shots off the leading pace, Mulroy faces a big challenge today.

A day after a second successive 66, 39-year-old Bland picked up one bogey and failed to produce the birdie blitz which, for two days running, had put him in surprise contention.

He is now in a six-strong group which sits four shots off the pace of Mulroy, whose three-round total of 199 gave him a one-shot lead over Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

Had Fernandez-Castano not picked up four bogeys his round of 67 — which included seven birdies and an eagle at the par five eighth — he may have taken the overnight lead.

“I played well but I had a few unforced errors which cost me a few shots,” said Fernandez-Castano.

“But two birdies to finish on the last two holes has put me back in contention and I’m in a great position for tomorrow.”

Sitting one shot further behind on 201 are fellow Spaniards Rafa Cabrera-Bello, who shot a 65, and Pablo Larrazabal, who carded a 66.

Alongside Bland at four shots off the leading pace are Italian Matteo Manassero, Welshman Phillip Price, Germany’s Martin Kaymer and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy.

Bourdy’s round of 70 included two bogeys and only four birdies but perhaps the most disappointed was Marc Warren.

The Scot started the third round only one shot behind Bland but made only three birdies and bogeyed the fourth, 10th and 16th holes on his way to a level par 72 which left him six shots off the lead.

Play abandoned as typhoon lashes Taiwan

Play in the second round of the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in Taiwan was abandoned yesterday, as strong winds and rain caused by a passing typhoon lashed the island, organizers said.

The blustery and damp conditions at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club forced officials to reduce the $500,000 event to a 54-stroke play tournament, the Asian Tour said in a statement.

“The extremely wet and windy conditions made it a challenge for play to continue today. The safety of our players going out to the course was also another priority,” said Wanchai Meechai, the Asian Tour’s tournament director.

“As such, we have taken the decision to abandon play for today,” he said.

Play would resume on Sunday morning, when conditions were expected to be calmer, he said. “We are also not ruling out a Monday finish so that we can get all 54 holes played,” added Wanchai.

Angelo Que of the Philippines holds the clubhouse lead with his first round seven-under-par 65 while American Jason Knutzon, who was even-par through nine holes, took a share of second place alongside India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar.

Taiwan’s Lin Wen-tang was in fourth place after an opening 67 while India’s Anirban Lahiri was one back in fifth place on 68.

Singapore’s Koh Dengshan, who was one-over after three holes before play was abandoned, remained unperturbed by the weather conditions.

“This is expected of the weather in Taipei and before I came, I was already mentally prepared for these kinds of conditions. There’s nothing much you can do except to go back there again and play your best when the weather conditions are much better,” said Koh.