Garcia exorcising his demons

Sergio Garcia is 18 holes away from completing a dream return to Carnoustie - scene of his biggest golfing nightmare eight years ago.

His attempt to become the first European to win a major since Paul Lawrie on the same course in 1999 continued with a three-under 68 and so Garcia, relieved that the predicted storms did not arrive until he had almost finished, goes into the final day nine under and three ahead of American Steve Stricker.

Stricker had earlier carded the lowest round ever in an Open at the Scottish links with a marvellous seven-under-par 64 to ensure he would partner the 27-year-old Spaniard in the final group on Sunday.

Tiger Woods, who came with high hopes of becoming the first player since Peter Thomson in 1956 to record a hat-trick of Claret Jugs, is eight adrift and joint 15th after a 69. Considering he has not had to come from even one behind on the final day for any of his 12 majors, it looks a task beyond even the world number one.

Among those between Woods and Garcia are Ryder Cup partners Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington and England's Paul Broadhurst, a born-again golfer if ever there was one. But on three under and joint third they - like Ernie Els, Korean KJ Choi and Americans Chris DiMarco and Stewart Cink - have a massive six shots to make up.

Garcia, relieved that the predicted bad weather did not arrive until right at the end, said: "It's been a wonderful experience and I hope I can play well enough to finish the winner tomorrow."

Garcia's round almost came unstuck when his tee shot at the 17th hit a scoreboard operator, and he commented: "You never want that to happen. When you see the person lying down it's not a good feeling, but fortunately I was able to shake his hand and he said 'I'm fine'. He was a little shaken up, but I managed to save a great four."

Every one of them will wake up hoping for something akin to 1999 when Lawrie, amazingly, retrieved a 10-shot deficit, three of them when Jean Van de Velde triple-bogeyed the last when three clear. There is one thing about Carnoustie and it is that it is never over until it is over. But surely there will be no repeat of that.

However, Els, who had to come back from a triple-bogey eight on the sixth for his 68, warned: "Obviously Sergio is going for his first major and he is going to have a lot to think about."

This is Garcia's first trip to Carnoustie since that unforgettable - much though he might prefer to - experience when he was just 19, but already the Irish Open champion. Garcia had horror rounds of 89 and 83 for a 30-over-par aggregate. Not only does that 89 remain the highest round of his professional career, the 83 is his second highest.