Golf: Deutsche Bank Open

Paul Broadhurst and Darren Clarke shared the joint lead after a day of phenomenal scoring in the third round of the Deutsche Bank SAP Open in Hamburg yesterday. Both players shot 65 for three-round aggregates of 198, 18 under par, while Lee Westwood, one stroke behind the leaders, smashed the course record with a superb 61 to be in joint third place with US Masters winner Mark O'Meara. Overall, 62 of the 82 players broke par on a day ideal for golf.

However, Colin Montgomerie, winner of the Volvo PGA Cham- pionship at Wentworth just six days ago, could only stand and applaud playing partner Broadhurst's great play while he himself could

manage a level-par 72.

Montgomerie was far from pleased with his performance, moaning: ''It was the putting.''

Broadhurst, however, was delighted to have played with the big Scot. ''I've always played pretty good when I've played with Monty in the past,'' said Broadhurst, who had seven birdies and no bogeys on his card.

''I made up six shots on Monty in the first nine holes but he was not exactly spraying it around.

''But I thought it might needle him if I holed some and he missed a few. I got off to a good start, holing from 25 feet at the first for a birdie and he missed from 15ft.

''Then I murdered a drive down the third and he hit it out of bounds. I got to the turn in a six- under-par 30 and was a a bit disappointed that I wasn't leading at that stage with Lee (Westwood) playing so well ahead of me.

''I drove the ball really well and my irons were pretty good so things turned out just right in the end.''

Clarke, playing behind Broadhurst, made his 65 with a 32 out and 33 back, including birdies at both the sixteenth and eighteenth but believes that anyone within four shots of the lead could win this tournament.

He does not believe, however, that Montgomerie will be in contention. ''Monty is eight behind and I think even he will be struggling to win from there,'' said Clarke.

''But Bernhard (Langer) is only five behind and nothing would surprise me about Bernhard in Germany.''

Westwood's 61 included nine birdies and an eagle 3 at the long sixth and he was asked the inevitable question: ''Was 59 on today?''

As Westwood missed six putts of 12 feet or less, including one of two-and-a half feet and one of five feet, it was a realistic inquiry but he replied: ''If you are going to shoot 59, you have got to hole everything.

''I could have shot 58 or 57 but I don't feel robbed, though.

''You don't shoot 61 every day of the week and it's got me into contention.''

His course record was the lowest round he has played in tournament golf and he added: ''I shot 63 in Gran Canaria, which was 10 under par, but this was 11 under and definitely my lowest.

''Now, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't play well again tomorrow.

''It's been my putting that has been letting me down and I played well at Wentworth and finished six behind Monty.

''But I felt I'd left 20 shots out on the course.

''This week I holed nothing for the first two rounds. After missing on the first I decided to try putting with the left hand below the right but then missed from five feet on the second so went back to my normal grip.''

O'Meara, who had a bogey-free round of nine birdies, was full of praise for Westwood but said his own 63 was the best he has struck the ball this year, including his epic win at Augusta.

''I'm over the jet lag now,'' he said, ''and I think I need another solid round tomorrow.

''I think you will need to be between 21 and 23 under to win unless the wind gets up.''

Leaderboard

(British and Irish unless otherwise stated)

198 - P Broadhurst 68, 65, 65; D Clarke 67, 66, 65.

199 - L Westwood 69, 69, 61; M O'Meara (USA) 67, 69, 63.

200 - P Senior (Australia) 69, 67, 64.

201 - J Van de Velde (France) 67, 67, 67.

202 - J Haeggman (Sweden) 69, 70, 63; S Henderson 70, 66, 66.

203 - M-A Jimenez (Spain) 69, 69, 65; D Howell 69, 68, 66; P Mitchell 66, 70, 67; B May (USA) 67, 68, 68; B Langer (Germany) 67, 66, 70.

204 - I Woosnam 69, 71, 64; P Walton 69, 70, 65; P Haugsrud (Norway) 71, 66, 67.

205 - P McGinley 65, 74, 66; P Quirici (Switzerland) 68, 70, 67; I Garbutt 70, 68, 67; R Goosen (S Africa) 68, 68, 69.

206 - P Lawrie 68, 72, 66; J Singh (India) 69, 70, 67; E Canonica (Italy) 67, 71, 68; N Price (Zimbabwe) 70, 68, 68; M Farry (France) 72, 66, 68; S Torrance 68, 69, 69; W Westner (S Africa) 70, 66, 70; C Montgomerie 67, 67, 72.

207 - C Rocca (Italy) 70, 71, 66; S Webster 72, 69, 66; M Hallberg (Sweden) 70, 70, 67; J M Olazabal (Spain) 69, 71, 67; G Chalmers (Australia) 67, 71, 69; J Payne 70, 68, 69; B Davis 69, 68, 70; K Tomori (Japan) 68, 69, 70; M James 67, 68, 72.

Others included: 208 - G Orr 71, 68, 69; T Bjorn (Denmark) 69, 68, 71.

210 - A Oldcorn 70, 71, 69; R Russell 69, 69, 72; A Coltart 68, 68, 74.

211 - D Robertson 73, 68, 70; A Hunter 70, 69, 72.