Englishman Lee Westwood recovered from an early bogey to surge three shots clear early in the third round of a gripping British Open on Saturday. Westwood, bidding for a first major triumph at the 62nd time of asking, played the long par-five fifth to perfection, reaching the green with two drivers before curling in a 25-foot eagle putt to a crescendo of roars across the sun-scorched Muirfield links.
Playing partner Tiger Woods, who had briefly topped the leaderboard after a birdie at the second, then failed with a birdie attempt to leave Westwood one clear on three-under. Westwood then stretched his lead over Woods to three shots when he birdied the seventh and the American bogeyed.
With the course proving a little less treacherous than the first two days despite a stiff easterly wind, the battle for the lead began in ferocious style as the last pairings went out. Woods, looking to win a 15th major five years after his 14th, briefly moved ahead of overnight leader Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain before a poor bunker shot at the par-three fourth resulted in his first bogey of the day. A mis-judgement from the tee at the par-three seventh then left Woods in a tie for second on one-under with Jimenez, Angel Cabrera of Argentina and Swede Henrik Stenson.
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