Golf: David Law breaks free with 63 but James Byrne in clear

THE Law man ruled again in the third round of the Aberdeen Asset Management Open. But a jaw-dropping 63 – one more than his effort at the same stage en route to victory as an amateur here 12 months ago – still left David Law with a mountain to climb in his bid to become the first player in nearly 20 years to make a successful defence of the Tartan Tour title.

Banchory’s James Byrne, who turned professional at the same time as Law, a fellow North-East man, just under a year ago, is taking route 66 to his maiden victory in the paid ranks. A third successive four-under-par effort has earned the 23-year-old a six-shot cushion heading into the final round today.

Two-times former winner Jason McCreadie and David Orr, the 2009 Scottish PGA champion, are also in joint-second on six-under and can’t be discounted. A last-day pairing of Byrne and Law, though, will definitely appeal to the tournament sponsors. Aberdeen Asset, after all, have supported both in their rookie season as professionals.

“It’s an ideal position to be in,” said Byrne after extending his two-shot overnight lead with a round that included two back-nine eagles – at the 11th, where he holed from 40 feet after hitting the flagstick on the fly with a hybrid, and the 16th, which he reduced to a drive and 6-iron then sank an eight-footer.

The big hitter has made the par-5s look relatively easy this week. “They’re quite short and I’m 12-under for them,” added the 2011 Walker Cup player, who admitted he’d enjoyed a slice of luck when an “aggressive” tee shot at the driveable par-4 17th hit a tree not far from the tee and dropped straight down.

Despite that scare, he intends sticking to his gameplan for the final circuit. Law will probably need to go low again today, but he’s certainly capable of that. His seven-under salvo yesterday in a strong north-westerly wind even left some of the seasoned Tartan Tour campaigners agog. “David’s 63 is exceptional – I’d have bitten your hand off if you’d offered me an under-par score today,” said Orr after his 66, two less than McCreadie.

Law, who won the Dar Es Salam Open on the EPD Tour earlier in the year, almost holed his approach at the 14th for the second day running but did match Byrne’s eagle at the 16th. “It has obviously taken me time to get the feel of the place again,” said the 21-year-old of his opening efforts of 73 and 68.

Bidding to become the first player since Kevin Stables in 1994 to win this event back-to-back, he benefitted from caddie Nick MacAndrew, a low-handicapper at Royal Aberdeen, gauging the wind. He’s also reaped the rewards of a pre-event short-game lesson from his mentor, Paul Lawrie, at the former Open champion’s excellent new golf centre on the outskirts of the Granite City. “We’ve worked hard on that and it was very good of Paul to meet me on Monday morning after his win at Gleneagles the previous day,” acknowledged the two-time Scottish Amateur champion.

Greig Hutcheon, Byrne’s closest challenger at the start of the day, dropped three shots in his last six holes, losing a ball driving at the 17th as a 71 dropped the 2010 winner seven behind his fellow Banchory man.

The race for the Bookless Cup, for the leading amateur, is being led by Greig Marchbank after the 19-year-old from Dumfries catapulted himself up the board with a 65 to sit on two-under.