Padraig Harrington just one shot behind at Senior Open

Padraig Harrington is just a single shot off the lead at the Senior Open Championship after a fine level-par 71 in blustery conditions at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club.

Starting on one-over par, the Dubliner had dropped three more shots by the turn but bounced back with birdies on 12 and 14.

Remarkably, for the second day in a row, he double-bogeyed the par-four 16 and then eagled the par-five 18th.

With the weather causing havoc, most players were falling back as their rounds progressed, but a stunning approach at 18 from Germany's Alex Cejka saw him birdie to take the outright lead going into the final round on level par - but even that only led to a round of 74.

Overnight leader Steven Alker is one of three other players a shot off Cejka with the New Zealand player heartening the crowd at the Welsh venue with a hole in one at the par-three 15th,

The crowd loved it as soon as his ball left the tee, and they read it well with the ball taking a few hops and rolling in on the right side. Alker also birdied the last for a round of 76, his card also containing seven bogeys and a double bogey.

Former world number one Vijay Singh is also in that group with the Fijian digging in for a 73. After eight holes, Singh was three under for his round, but a double bogey, four bogeys and a closing birdie would follow as the wind gusted strongly.

England's Philip Archer is also in joint second after a fine 71. Like most, his round finished with a birdie on 18.

Darren Clarke carded a 73 to sit on seven over, a score that improved as the day progressed. A double bogey at the ninth was the low point of the round, but by the end of play he was just seven shots off the lead.