Third round leaderboard:-10 M Kaymer (Ger) -9 F Zanotti (Par), C Nilsson (Swe) -8 G Fernandez-Castano (Spn), S Kapur (Ind), N Colsaerts (Bel)
Selected others: -7 D Horsey (Eng) -5 M Hoey (NI) -4 R Coles (Eng), D Clarke (NI), F Molinari (Ita), R Ramsay (Sco) -3 R Fisher (Eng) -1 M Manassero (Ita)
 Kaymer (r) took his caddie's advice to play more aggressively |
European Ryder Cup player Martin Kaymer's gamble to go for broke paid off as he assumed a one-shot lead at the weather-threatened KLM Open. With heavy rain forecast, Sunday's last round may be called off, so Kaymer took advice from his caddie on the 16th. "He [caddie Craig Connolly] said maybe we should be more aggressive," revealed Kaymer, who birdied the last two holes for a 66 and a 54-hole, 10-under total. Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti and Swede Christian Nilsson are tied for second. If Kaymer wins on Sunday in the Netherlands, the 25-year-old will make it five wins in a row by members of Colin Montgomerie's Ryder Cup team, ahead of the showdown against the US at Celtic Manor from 1-3 October. Kaymer began that run of success by taking the USPGA Championship last month. Peter Hanson's Czech Open victory, Edoardo Molinari's wildcard-clinching Johnnie Walker Championship win and last Sunday's triumph by Miguel Angel Jimenez at the Omega European Masters have followed in quick succession.  | 606: DEBATE |
Two more European Ryder Cup debutants, Francesco Molinari and Ross Fisher, played solidly in Saturday's third round at Hilversum, scoring 67 and 68 respectively to lie four and three under. One of Montgomerie's four vice-captains in south Wales, Darren Clarke, carded a 67 and is four under. However, the day belonged to Kaymer, who after making birdies at the second, seventh and 12th holes, sank a 10-foot birdie on the 17th and picked up another shot on the last following a marvellous up-and-down. Victory would earn Race to Dubai leader Kaymer £248,364 in prize money and open up a lead of more than £415,000 over Ryder Cup team-mate Graeme McDowell. "The Ryder Cyp was the main goal for this year, but once I reached that I made another one - to win the Order of Merit - and so every tournament is important," added Kaymer. "Once you lead the tournament you should win the tournament, so of course I expect myself to win." Zanotti shot the round of the day - an eight-birdie 65 - while Nilsson's eagle on the par-five 12th helped him to a 68. Italian 17-year-old Matteo Manassero, who last week finished third in Switzerland, is another eight shots back on one under. Joint overnight leaders Shiv Kapur of India and Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts both shot 70s and are two off the pace.
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