Lawrie has continued a steady progression up the leaderboard and followed Friday's 68 with an excellent round of 67 to lie five shots behind the leader Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina.

Michael Hoey made a blistering start with four successive birdies from the second to move to eight under for the tournament and he finished by carding a 70 to lie two shots further behind his fellow Irishman.

Hoey looked in rude health, having retired from the Madeira Island Open last week because of flu.

Defending champion Paul Broadhurst was showing little sign of relinquishing his grip on the title during the third round and remains in a decent position behind the Argentinian.

The overnight leader quickly picked up shots at the start of his third round.

Broadhurst chalked up birdies at the fourth and fifth to move to 13-under and remained in a good position for a final push.

Curiously, the 40-year-old tipped that mark as the winning score before the tournament began.

Broadhurst set a blistering pace on the opening day by equalling the course record of 64 and has not looked back.

He was two shots clear of France's Christian Cevaer and three ahead of Argentinian Ricardo Gonzalez at the top of the third-round leaderboard at one stage before the South American mounted a comeback.

Gonzalez made up ground very quickly with five birdies in his opening seven holes yesterday.

Incredibly the Argentinian had been in danger of missing the halfway cut after opening the tournament with a oneover 73.

Brian Davis was one shot further back on nine-under thanks a decent round which contained six birdies, including three in a row at the 12th, 13th and 14th.

Michael Hoey was on eightunder after a birdie at the par-five 11 following a bogey at the previous hole.

He raced to the turn in 32 following four successive birdies from the second.

Alistair Forsyth also made up ground with a superb 65 to move to seven-under.

He got a birdie at the third and followed that with a glorious eagle at the par-five fifth. Forsyth maintained his momentum, however, and managed to keep his head by picking up further shots at the seventh and 11th holes.

He completed a fine round by finishing with two successive birdies.

Broadhurst slipped back to 12 under after a bogey at the ninth and he went out in 34. Cevaer was on his shoulder after birdies at the third and the seventh, while Carl Suneson moved alongside Gonzalez at 10 under thanks mainly to an eagle at the fifth.

However, a good finish to the round from Gonzalez leaves his as the man to catch with Spain's Carl Suneson and Soren Hansen of Denmark also nearing the top of the leaderboard.