Sunday 12 July 2015 21:52, UK
Daniel Brooks battled back from a nightmare start to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Scottish Open.
Brooks held a three-shot halfway lead at Gullane after impressive rounds of 64 and 65, but started his third round with a double bogey after finding knee-high rough off the tee and needing two attempts to hack his ball back on to the fairway.
With France's Raphael Jacquelin six under for his round after 13 holes, Brooks suddenly found himself two off the pace but responded superbly with three birdies in his front nine, the latter from just four feet at the ninth after an excellent approach in blustery wind.
The Englishman bounced back from a blemish at the 10th with a gain at the 16th to restore his lead, before dragging a birdie putt to extend his advantage narrowly left of the hole.
At 12 under Brooks, who won the Madeira Islands Open in 2014, was one ahead of Jacquelin, who completed a flawless 64 to set the clubhouse target, with Rickie Fowler part of the group another shot back.
Jacquelin, who won a record nine-hole play-off to claim his last European Tour title in the 2013 Spanish Open, had missed the cut in five straight events until finishing 23rd on home soil in Paris last week.
"It's been hard," the 40-year-old said. "The last three months are really difficult, especially for me. Normally I make quite a lot of cuts and play pretty solid off the tee and I hit a lot of greens.
"So it's been tough but it's my 20th season on Tour, so I've been lucky, never lost my card. So I can't really complain, even if the last three months were difficult. It's part of the game.
"The game of golf, it's getting really difficult. The level of the players is getting high. So as soon as you're not 100 per cent, you're not going to play the weekend. That's part of it. That's why we keep working hard and practising like I did, to be in that position I will be in tomorrow."
Fowler's joined on 10 under by Tommy Fleetwood and Joost Luiten, who posted four birdies over a five hole stretch on the back nine, with Eddie Pepperell opening with a hat-trick of gains to stay in contention three off the lead.
Defending champion Justin Rose, 2008 winner Graeme McDowell and Ireland's Shane Lowry began the day as part of a six-way tie for second place, but all shot 72 to finish six adrift on six under, while Jimmy Walker dropped seven shots on the first four holes on his way to a eight-over 78.
Watch the final round of the Scottish Open live on Sunday from 2pm on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf
