Craig Lee remained steady at the top of the leaderboard midway through the third round of the Madeira Islands Open – Portugal – BPI as he negotiated the opening ten holes in one under par to remain a shot clear on ten under par.
The Scotsman began the day with a one shot lead but he was joined at the top early in the third day, at the start of which the second round concluded after an overnight suspension, as Mark Tullo birdied the first hole to join Lee on nine under.
When Lee bogeyed the second and his other playing partner Peter Uihlein birdied, the Stirling man was briefly deposed at the summit but he gathered himself and carded back to back birdies at the third and fourth.
Another birdie at the par five seventh hole maintained his momentum but a bogey at the ninth saw him slip back to ten under, a shot clear of Tullo and Uihlein through ten holes.
Former Ryder Cup player Jarmo Sandelin joined the chasing pack on nine under par as a birdie at the 12th hole meant he was three under par for the day, joining Tullo and Uihlein in tied second.
José-Filipe Lima, meanwhile, carded a six under par 66 to keep alive hopes of a second consecutive home winner as he entered the clubhouse on six under par and four shots behind the leader on the course.
