O'Hara takes flight into fifth place in Seville

Ryder Cup hopeful Forsyth decided he was not going to make the halfway cut on one-over par and left the event after his second-round 72.

By the time he had learned he had survived - high winds after lunch sent scores soaring - he was at Gatwick and there was no way of getting back to make his third-round tee-off.

Forsyth’s manager Brian Marchbank, a former European Tour player himself, said: "It was one of those regrettable things that happen. He’s very disappointed obviously and it’s very, very unfortunate. Who knows, a couple of 66s over the weekend and he might not have won, but he could have come fourth or fifth."

O’Hara, just one stroke better at halfway, had higher hopes than that, however, after returning a seven-under-par 65. It took him from 51st to joint fifth, although the third round was still in progress.

After three successive cuts O’Hara was delighted to make his presence felt - and gave the credit to sports psychologist John Pates. "I had an hour with him on the range yesterday," he said. "I used to think it was a lot of nonsense, to be honest, but it’s not. There’s no reason why you should not spend as much time on the mental side as you do practising."

Meanwhile, Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez took the lead - and then admitted he felt embarrassed. The 34-year-old did not hit a single fairway with his driver during a third round 69 which left him with a one-stroke lead over Canada-based Scot Alan McLean and Italian Emanuele Canonica.

While Seve Ballesteros’ 23-year-old nephew Raul fell from joint second to 13th, five off, with a 74, Gonzalez moved onto the 11-under mark of 205.

"I think I owe something to the spectators," said Gonzalez. "People who know me know I can play better than that. I don’t feel confident with my driver, but I am missing it to the right and on this course you can."

Gonzalez and Canonica, two of the biggest hitters on the European tour, were paired together, but which is the longer is a question to be answered.

"We couldn’t measure because we were so wide," joked the South American. "We met at the green!"

Nevertheless, with Miguel Angel Jimenez eight back after a 72 Gonzalez is favourite for a 116,662 top prize which would give him a Spanish double. He won the Madrid Open last October.

McLean is a lowly 461st in the world but still harbours Ryder Cup ambitions.

His family moved from Glasgow to South Africa when he was three and he now lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario, but when asked to name his country on turning professional in 1995 he said Scotland.

"I think I should put United Nations next to my name, but in my heart I’m Scottish," he stated after his 68. "The Ryder Cup is the main reason. It’s been my dream for nine years. One win can get me into the big tournaments and if I perform well in those who knows? Everybody says you have to think positively."

He has had one top 10 finish in Europe so far, but three years ago bogeyed the last hole to miss out on a play-off with Ernie Els for the South African Players’ Championship.

At the Heritage in South Carolina, runaway leader Ted Purdy fired a 65 to move to 12 under for the tournament, giving him a four-shot advantage over Heath Slocum (70) while Stephen Ames (68) and Patrick Sheehan (69) share third on seven under.

Ernie Els (68) is among a group of four on six under while overnight leader Ben Curtis dropped back to four under after a 75. England’s Justin Rose and Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke are among a group of four golfers tied for ninth place after day three.

Rose moved up the leaderboard after adding a five-under 66 to earlier scores of 73 and 69 but Clarke slipped back from fourth at halfway after a 71.