LOCH LOMOND (Scotland), July 9: Overnight leader Maarten Lafeber held off the challenge of some of the European Tour’s biggest names before being caught by South Africa’s Tim Clark in the Scottish Open third round on Saturday.

Lafeber who would book a place at next week’s British Open by finishing as the highest non-exempt player at Loch Lomond, carded a three-under-par 68 on a third successive day of near-perfect scoring conditions.

Lafeber finished at 15-under 198, level with Clark, who holed a 25-foot birdie putt at the par-three 17th on his way to a 65.

Big-hitting Argentine Angel Cabrera birdied the last for a 68 to share third place at 14 under with Britain’s Alastair Forsyth, who picked up shots at two of the last four holes for a 67.

A further two strokes back in a three-way share of fifth were Darren Clarke (69), Australia’s Adam Scott (64) and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (66).

World number seven Scott, back at Loch Lomond after a two-year absence, produced the best round of the day after reeling off eight birdies and a solitary bogey on 14.

Seven-times European number one Colin Montgomerie returned a 66 for a 54-hole total of 204 but rued his poor putting over the closing holes.

Level with Montgomerie was world number three Ernie Els, who had got to 12 under before pulling his tee shot into water at the last on his way to a double-bogey six and a 67.

Third round scores:

198 Tim Clark, Maarten Lafeber

199 Angel Cabrera; Alastair Forsyth

201 Darren Clarke; Thongchai Jaidee; Adam Scott

202 Luke Donald; Nick Dougherty; Miguel Angel Jimenez

203 Paul Broadhurst; Robert-Jan Derksen; Ernie Els; Peter Hedblom; Colin Montgomerie; Ian Poulter; Henrik Stenson.—Agencies