While many players and caddies were settling down to watch England's World Cup quarter-final against Portugal the 2005 US Open champion was still out on the course.

Leading the tournament by three at 12 under with two to play, he carved his drive over the exhibition tents and out of bounds to the right.

Playing three off the tee, Campbell was also wildly right but this time it bounced back off the tents and on to a path - where a passing woman proceeded to kick it twice.

Campbell took another tee shot, his fifth, and pulled that into the rough. After discussion with officials, who wanted to review television footage before making a ruling about whether his ball would have gone out of bounds, it was decided he should play both balls. He was eventually credited with a triple-bogey seven but he recovered superbly with a 25-foot birdie at the last to post a round of 68 and a 10 under total.

He had earlier driven out of bounds at the 450-yard seventh to make double bogey - the only other blip in a round of eight birdies. That put him a stroke ahead of England's John Bickerton, leader for the previous two days, who carded a level-par 71 to remain nine under.

Campbell birdied the second and third holes but that only put him within one of the Englishman, who sank a 12-foot putt at the first to move to 10 under. Campbell appeared to have handed the initiative back to Bickerton when he drove out of bounds at the 450-yard seventh but he birdied the par-five ninth after reaching in two.

Two more birdies followed in his next two holes; the short 11th saw him drop a curling, 30-foot putt over a ridge. Bickerton, meanwhile, held his nerve to card 10 straight pars after his opening birdie.

"It was a little bit confusing for a while but I shouldn't have been there in the first place so it is my fault completely, " said Campbell.

"I could have had a nine or even a 10 at one stage but the favour was towards myself and one shot is a lot in this game.

"I think I had about 10 different rulings in the space of half an hour. It was a very emotional time. It seemed to last for a lifetime. I'm just glad to put that behind me and make birdie on the next hole.

"It's one of the most bizarre days of my career. I've never had this before. It is something I'd rather not do again.

I'm still in a position to win this tournament so that is one thing I'm relieved about.

I'm just disappointed I didn't run away with it after playing so well."

Senior referee Andy McFee explained he had to be sure the ball had not been deliberately prevented from going out of bounds and that is why he asked Campbell to play both balls until they could make a decisive ruling.

Having looked at the tape it is very clear the ball was out of bounds; it hit the tent and was bouncing back to the course. It then hit this lady and that clearly was not deliberate, " he said.

"The ball then hits the tent again before moving towards the golf course but the lady made absolutely certain it would do that because not once but twice with a little deft footwork the ball comes back across the line and is in bounds.

"There is no question the ball has been deliberately deflected by an outside agency but at the point at where it was deflected I think the ball was moving back towards the course. Therefore equity applies to the player so Michael must play the ball as it lies."

Welshman Bradley Dredge and Denmark's Anders Hansen were joint third, three shots off the lead on seven under after rounds of 71 and 68 respectively.

Padraig Harrington, who flew into the tournament late having been delayed by the rain-interrupted Booz Allen Classic, carded a 69 for a fiveunder-par total.

However, he feels he is too far behind to make a challenge tomorrow on a Le Golf National course he admits does not suit his game.

"I could have done with being maybe a couple better.

I'm well in the tournament for the other positions but not maybe necessarily for winning, " he said.