Meanwhile, after probably the greatest shot of his life, Danish golfer Soren Hansen is in position to put the worst year of his golfing life firmly behind him. It would be almost spooky if the 33-yearold does indeed go on to lift the French Open at Le Golf National near Paris.

Five years ago compatriot Anders Hansen won the PGA Championship at Wentworth and five weeks later his namesake captured the Irish Open.

Now, five weeks after Anders won the same title again, Soren takes a onestroke lead over Essex's Simon Khan into the final round.

As the saying goes, Hansen is as Hansen does.

The shot that was principally responsible for his bestof-the-day 66 was a 273-yard three-wood at the long third.

It rolled up to within two inches of the flag for a tap-in eagle.

"I don't think I've hit a better shot, not under the circumstances, " said Hansen.

"I was wondering if it was on TV, but I couldn't see a camera."

The most remarkable thing about his performance is that he has not had a single top 10 finish since last July and has fallen to 218th in the world and 124th on this season's Order of Merit.

"Since 1999 I've progressed every year, but the last half a year I can't say that. But the last month I've been hitting it really well and trying to get back to being the old Soren Hansen again."

Now a first prize of nearly �450,000 - nearly three times what he earned for his only previous Tour victory - is in his sights, especially after he put the icing on the cake with a 30-foot closing birdie putt.

Halfway leader Simon Khan had to birdie the difficult 17th to be only one behind, while Colin Montgomerie and German Martin Kaymer are three back in joint third, Montgomerie having had problems not only with his putting but also camera-clicking fans in his 71.

As for former boy wonder Zane Scotland, who has been hardly heard of since becoming the youngest player ever to come through a qualifying event for the Open Championship eight years ago, he climbed into a share of the lead early on, but slipped from fourth to eighth by bogeying the last two holes.

At two under, though, he is still battling for a huge cheque. Such has been his struggles since a 2003 car crash that simply making the halfway cut guaranteed him his biggest pay-day on the main Tour. His career earnings stand at under �6,000.

Like Hansen, Khan has not won for five years. His lone Tour success came at the 2002 Wales Open and after an opening bogey he recovered with birdies on the seventh and ninth and then hit back again after another dropped shot at the 15th.

"That three on 17 was good.

The ball was way above my feet (for his second shot) and I used hands and arms with a rescue club, ran through the green and chipped in.

"It was a nice way to get into the last group."

Montgomerie has himself not tasted victory since December 2005 - the second longest barren spell of his career - but he said: "Miguel Angel Jimenez said to me that you never forget how to win and you don't.

"Tomorrow is a big day for me to get out there and prove to myself that I haven't forgotten."

After his 71, though, he went to the practice putting green for what he said would be a two-hour session.

"One birdie all day and that was one inch at the fifth - my daughter could have got that one in, " said the Scot. "I played as well as I did the first two days, if not better, but just can't seem to hole a putt.

"I used to get away with it, but you can't do that now.

You've got to hole some putts, even hitting the ball the way I am.

"I'm three behind, but around a course of this severity it's a big chance. Sure it is."

As for the cameras he added: "I have to put up with that every day - just one of these things."