Golf: Woosnam storms into the lead

Ian Woosnam shot a spectacular 63 in the third round of the Cannes Open to charge back from the pack to take a one-shot lead into the final day. After eight holes of his second round the little Welshman had been 14 strokes behind the overnight leader, Sam Torrance, and had told the pilot of his private jet to prepare for an early return home. Woosnam had to battle to survive the halfway cut but he accumulated nine more birdies in a third round that he rated as his best for three years. Torrance returned a 76, including a double-bogey seven at the 16th, to slip back into the pack and leave Woosnam one stroke clear of Colin Montgomerie and Sweden's Pierre Fulke. 'For the last couple of years I've been so negative and banging my head against a brick wall,' said Woosnam, who had an 11-under- par aggregate of 205. 'I decided it was time to trust my swing and go for it.' The turning point came on the ninth tee in the second round and he has played the 28 holes since in 14 under with an eagle and 12 birdies. He used his driver at the 339-yard third, where most players use a medium-iron for position. He made birdie and that set him off towards his nine-birdie haul. Torrance had begun the day with a four-shot lead.