To avoid some possible carnage as rain and wind swept in during yesterday's third round, the exposed Smurfit Course was made more compliant with several forward tees and less penal pin positions to such an extent that Paul McGinley and Lee Westwood, two players who have been in the doldrums of late, both carded five under par 67s early in the proceedings.

In fact, with dire warnings of apocalyptic conditions to come later in the afternoon, it appeared initially that McGinley and Westwood might have transformed themselves from also-rans into genuine contenders for the first prize of 580,000, but while the rain tumbled down depressingly, it never blew the expected gale.

It still made for demanding, if unpredictable golf, with a cluster of players near the top of the leaderboard as the round drew to a close. There were moves from Spain's Jose Manuel Lara and from Anthony Wall of England, while the in-form Paul Casey put himself in a threatening position, but amid the log-jam, it was overnight leader Bradley Dredge who eventually created some daylight.

A World Cup winner last year with Stephen Dodd, who was treading water behind his Welsh compatriot, Dredge has had a modest enough season, however, he was looking good to improve on his current 40th place in the European Tour order of merit until a double bogey at the 13th hole brought him back to the chasing pack.

Despite once again coming into a tournament with little or no expectation, Darren Clarke was also holding his own with a by now customary mixed bag of birdies and bogeys.

But what of McGinley who on the balance of probability was never going to make the cut, and who by rights should have been at home in Sunningdale watching one of his kids's sports day?

With his game in a trough and his Ryder Cup place hanging by a thread, McGinley pulled a rabbit out of a hat with a sparkling 67 which not alone improved his mindset, but which now gives him an opportunity of a top-10 finish today.

Any chance he had of making up ground in the chase for the estimated 300,000 he needs to book his spot for the September matches looked to have disappeared when he found himself in 91st place as he left the course on Friday. So certain was he that he would have the weekend off, that he was soon waiting at Dublin Airport for the 5.00pm flight to London.

"I knew the weather had worsened but it wasn't blowing a hooley, and there was no way I was making the cut. I was going to miss by one shot, " he explained. "I was rushing back for the sports day and I would've gone if the flight hadn't been delayed until 5.45."

His wife Ali phoned him at 5.15 and told him that the scores were tumbling and he ought really to hang around.

"Despite the chaos at the airport because of the bomb score, Aer Lingus managed to get my bag off the plane and they sent my clubs on later. I was amazed I made the cut to be honest. To go from 91st to make the cut is so unusual. You can only put it down to luck."

Wearing a woollen hat more appropriate for a winter links day, as well as mittens between shots, McGinley capitalised on his good fortune to fire six birdies in the morning for a three-under-par total of 213. So, with his only top-10 finish in Europe this year as far back as January, where did this sudden show of form materialise from?

"Mentally I was pretty much the same, the quality of my golf was pretty much the same. Did I know I was going to play well before I went out?

No. Did I feel any differently before I went out? No. Then I go out and hit practically every green in blustery conditions. I just can't figure this game out.

"I don't feel it's the pressure of the Ryder Cup. I've been putting badly and I've had a slump, no question about it. I'd hit a bad shot, it would end up in the water, end up in an unplayable lie. The game just wasn't running for me. This time I got into a rhythm and I played lovely without doing anything differently. That's what makes me happy. I got a good score doing the same things that I've been doing."

In terms of challenging for a Ryder Cup place, McGinley reckoned this 67 came close to the 69 in the final round of the 2004 USPGA Championship at a brutally difficult Whistling Straits which moved him up to a tie for sixth and earned him a vital 130,000.

Understandably, Padraig Harrington was less animated following his 69 which clearly leaves him too much ground to make up today. He didn't see the bad weather as much of an impediment, and he felt he failed to take advantage of a shortened course.

"There were plenty of chances out there, but I struggled a bit on the greens. The course was set up easier and there were a lot of wedges out there, but I just missed a lot putts."

Meanwhile, Graeme McDowell and David Higgins failed to improve their positions with a 72 and a 73 respectively.