Karlsson takes over lead from McGinley at BMW PGA Championship

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May. 24, 2008

VIRGINIA WATER, England (AP) -- Robert Karlsson shot a 2-under 70 in windy conditions to take a four-stroke lead Saturday in the third round of the BMW PGA Championship.

"It was very tricky. The wind was so strong and gusting," the Swede said.

Karlsson is now on 11-under 205. He was tied four shots behind Paul McGinley overnight but finished the third round leading by four over Miguel-Angel Jimenez (72) and Oliver Wilson (73).

McGinley, who shot a record halfway total of 65-66, finished the day with 79 to drop to a share of fourth place with Jyoti Randhawa (69) and Daniel Vancsik (72). They are five strokes behind Karlsson.

Rain and wind are scheduled for Sunday's final round over the West Course at Wentworth.

Karlsson bogeyed the first hole after three putts from 40 feet but he birdied the 3rd and 4th. Karlsson saved par over the next three before dropping a shot at the 9th.

He made up for it at the long 12th, with a 7-iron second shot to 10 feet to set up an eagle.

Karlsson bogeyed the 15th and 16th into a strong wind but birdied the two closing par-5s, the 17th from 30 feet and the last with two putts from 30 feet.

"There was an 8-shot swing today and there could be tomorrow," Karlsson said. "I just hope I'm not on the wrong end of it. There is no guarantee."

Karlsson played with McGinley, whose 2-iron shot off the first tee went into a bunker and ran up a double bogey six.

"It is a cruel game sometimes," McGinley said. "It gives you so many highs then so many lows. Today was a real body blow."

He said his tee shot at the 1st finished under the lip of the bunker.

"That was a tough start. I don't feel I played horrendously but I didn't get any momentum at any stage of the day," the Dubliner said. "Everything that could go wrong did go wrong."

Jimenez birdied the last two holes.

"I shot level par and you don't expect to jump into second place with that," the Spaniard said. "That shows how tough it was."

Paul Casey, winner of the 2006 World Match Play here, went through 14 holes without a bogey but dropped four shots over the next three as the wind grew stronger late in the afternoon..

"I played a really good round of golf and had 14 very good holes. But quality of stroke and spin rate are important in the wind and that's where I messed up," Casey said.

Robert Dinwiddie, a 25-year-old Englishman in his first full year on the European Tour, continued his rollercoaster run.

The former Walker Cup player opened with a 78 and scorched to a course-record 9-under 63 late Friday evening to move from 129th to 20th place.

On Saturday he slumped to 79 and was tied 63rd among the 70 players who made the halfway cut.

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