Paul McGinley and Cameron Clark are tied for 18th at +1 as Mikael Lundberg produced a brilliant seven-under-par 65 to take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Staysure English Legends at Chart Hills.
McGinley, who is making just his third Legends Tour appearance of the season, began the day at one-under but a five-over opening nine sent him tumbling down the leaderboard.
He regrouped to cover the final nine in three-under, but his chances of claiming a first Legends Tour victory are over.
Clark took two shots fewer, shooting a level-par 72, but he’ll be disappointed to have bogeyed the last. He’s just 18 holes away from his highest finish since securing his tour card at Legends Q-School back in January, before a return to the town in which he was born at next week’s NI Legends at Galgorm.
Swede Lundberg moved to 12-under-par for the championship, three clear of overnight leader Stephen Gallacher, who battled to a two-under 70 to reach nine-under. Simon Griffiths and Maarten Lafeber share third place at four-under, while Andrew Marshall sits alone in fifth at three-under.
Lee Westwood began the day just two shots off the lead at five-under and remained in the mix for much of his second round, before a difficult finish saw him slip back to two-under after a three-over 75.
With gusty winds and spells of heavy rain making conditions increasingly difficult in Kent, only nine players finished the second round under par for the championship.
Three-time DP World Tour winner Lundberg, who is searching for his first Staysure Legends Tour victory, has been in impressive form this season, finishing runner-up at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship earlier this month and fifth at the Portugal Invitational.
The Swede started the day two shots behind Gallacher but wasted little time in making his move. His putter was on fire as he made five birdies in his opening six holes.
Lundberg reached the turn in a superb five-under 31 before adding back-to-back birdies at the 13th and 14th. He kept his card clean through the closing stretch and finished in style, holing a five-foot par putt at the 18th to complete a bogey-free 65.
“Extremely pleased. What can you say? I started off making a lot of nice putts, which makes the game so much easier,” said Lundberg. “After that, it was just trying not to make any mistakes. Today it just felt like it was on, so I tried to stay out of the way.”
With a three-shot advantage heading into Sunday, Lundberg is relishing the opportunity to compete for his maiden Staysure Legends Tour title after a string of close calls this season.
“It’s always fantastic once you’re up there. That’s what we play for. No matter what happens tomorrow, I’ll try to shoot as low as I can, try not to make mistakes and then we’ll see where it takes us.
“It’s another day at work. You try to stick to the things that you do and keep it as simple as possible.”
Gallacher, who began the day with a two-shot advantage following his opening 65, endured a more difficult start as the conditions began to take their toll.
The Scot mixed three front-nine birdies with bogeys at the second and eighth before another dropped shot at the 11th. He responded with back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th before a superb chip to a foot at the last secured his par and a second-round 70.
The four-time DP World Tour winner and member of Europe’s victorious 2014 Ryder Cup team sits alone in second at nine-under as he continues his pursuit of a maiden Staysure Legends Tour title and the opportunity to close the gap on Order of Merit leader Jamie Donaldson, who is not in the field this week.
Behind the leading pair, recent Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy winner Griffiths made one of the biggest moves of the day with an excellent six-under-par 66.
The Englishman began the round at two-over but surged up the leaderboard with five birdies in his opening six holes. Further gains at the 13th and 16th moved him to four-under for the championship and into a share of third alongside Lafeber, who has carded consecutive rounds of 70.
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