GOLD COAST, Australia: Masters champion Adam Scott holds a three-shot lead heading into the final round of the Australian PGA Championship after recovering from early trouble in the third round on Saturday.

Scott dropped his first shots of the tournament on the front nine of Saturday’s third round with back-to-back bogeys, but recovered to shoot an even-par 71 to be 10-under 203 at Royal Pines on the Gold Coast.

Australia’s world number two came unstuck with bogeys on the par-four seventh and eighth to allow rivals Rickie Fowler and David McKenzie to overhaul his two-shot overnight lead.

But Scott regrouped on the back nine as Fowler and McKenzie faltered, making birdie on the par-five 12th and par-five 15th to again pull clear.

“Great spot to be in obviously,” said Scott, who is looking to add the PGA title to last year’s Australian Masters and his 2009 Australian Open successes.

“If you saw any of the round today you knew things weren’t going my way on the greens.

“I was a little out of position on the front-nine and it was hard to get it close, the couple of times I did I lipped out.

“I did well on the back nine to bring it back and shoot even.”

Young American Fowler (71) was in a tie for second on seven-under with Australia’s McKenzie (72) after a mixed day.

The 24-year-old American made three birdies in his round but also tripped up, with bogeys on the ninth, 12th and 14th proving costly.

Fowler, the world number 43, will play alongside Scott in Sunday’s final round.

McKenzie, who at one stage briefly held the outright lead, drifted when he three-putted the par-three 16th to bogey the hole.

The 46-year-old journeyman ended his round with five bogeys and four birdies.

Wright and Gold Coast-based Steven Jeffress (71) were a further shot back in a share of fourth while several players, including US PGA Tour player Marc Leishman (68), are hovering at five-under overall.

Dubuisson five shots clear in Turkey

In Belek, Turkey, Victor Dubuisson, the young Frenchman with the Hollywood actor good looks, stole the show by charging into a five-shot lead after the Turkish Airlines Open third round on Saturday.

The 23-year-old took advantage of an electrifying four-birdie start to power his way to a nine-under 63 for a 21-under total of 195 to eclipse world No. 1 Tiger Woods, European Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter and money-list leader Henrik Stenson.

Woods was unable to repeat his outstanding 63 from Friday and had to extricate himself from several awkward spots following some errant ball-striking on a perfect day for scoring at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal course.

Typically, though, the 14-times major champion hung in there to grind out a face-saving 68 for 201, one behind second-placed Poulter (68).

Woods flashed a trademark smile and waved his putter in the air after keeping his title hopes alive by rolling in a 20-foot birdie putt at the 18th.

Stenson, playing alongside the American for the third day running, carded a 69 to share third position with Woods, Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin (62) and Alejandro Canizares of Spain (66).

The bearded Jacquelin equalled the European Tour record for the most birdies in a round, reeling off 12 in his course record 62.

The 39-year-old started off like an express train as he picked up shots at each of the opening four holes.

Jacquelin produced another scintillating run of four consecutive birdies from the eighth before signing off in equally thrilling fashion with a four-birdie sequence at the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th.


Kirk leads suspended McGladrey Classic

In Sea Island, Georigia Chris Kirk fired a second-round 66 to seize a one-shot lead in the US PGA Tour McGladrey Classic, where darkness halted play Friday for a second straight day.

Kirk’s eight-under par total of 132 put him one ahead of 2012 US Open champion Webb Simpson, fellow Americans Briny Baird and Kevin Chappell and Australian John Senden.

Kirk played in the worst of the windy conditions but managed to nab five birdies on the back nine, which included a 40-foot putt from off the green at the 11th — his second hole of the day — and a chip-in from 60-feet at 14.

Senden’s day was highlighted by an eagle at the par-five 15th, and he finished the final hole of his second-round 67 in near darkness to join the group on 133. Play was then halted.

Chappell had an eagle and four birdies to offset two bogeys and a double-bogey at the par-three third in his two-under 68.