Sunday 17 April 2016 17:30, UK
Martin Kaymer boosted his chances of ending a two-year winless run by moving within one stroke of the lead heading in to the final round of the Open de Espana.
With swirling winds making scoring difficult at the notoriously testing former Ryder Cup venue, Kaymer mixed four birdies with as many bogeys to stay within one of Mike Lorenzo-Vera at the top of the leaderboard.
The world No 56 followed back-to-back gains from the fourth with dropped shots at the seventh and ninth to reach the turn level par, but he moved up the leaderboard after a stunning approach set up a close-range birdie at the 10th.
A five-foot gain at the next lifted the German within one of Andrew Johnston and overnight pacesetter Pablo Larrazabal, only for him to lose ground when bogeying the par-three next before giving up another shot at the 14th.
Kaymer then holed a series of par saves along the closing stretch, including an excellent clutch putt at the last, to join Johnston and Joost Luiten on two-over for the week.
"I really, really enjoy the golf course," he said after a 71 which made him one of just six players to shoot par or better. "If there was one course I could play for the rest of my life it would be this one.
"Obviously it was very hard to play the last couple of days, so to shoot level par like I did today was brilliant and makes it even more enjoyable."
Johnston, who is looking to win his first European Tour title, had recovered from a bogey on the second with birdies on the fourth and fifth to reach two under, a shot ahead of playing partner Larrazabal.
Larrazabal had bogeyed the third and three-putted the short sixth, with fellow Spaniard Alejandro Canizares and England's Richard Bland a shot behind on level par.
After Johnston had lost the lead after bogeys on the seventh and 10th, he benefited from a two-shot swing on the par-five 11th thanks to his birdie and a six from Larrazabal, who pushed his approach wide of the green.
That left Johnston as the only player under par with Larrazabal, Bland and Lorenzo-Vera on level par, with the latter producing a sublime shot on the 12th to chip in from heavy rough over the green.
As Johnston went on a run of three consecutive bogeys, Lorenzo-Vera bounced back from successive blemishes from the 15th by holing his third shot at the par-five 17th to move in to a two-stroke advantage.
The Frenchman bogeyed the last to slip back over par for the week, with 16 players heading in to the final round within five shots of the lead.
Defending champion James Morrison sits in the group on three over, while a round-of-the-day 69 from Alex Noren lifts the Swede inside the top 20.
Rafa Cabrera Bello and Thomas Pieters lie in a tie for 13th, with tournament hosting Sergio Garcia sitting a further stroke back after mixing five bogeys with a sole gain at the par-four 13th.
Watch the final round of the Open de Espana on Sunday from 10am on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf.
