Kelly and Percy share 54 hole lead at ISPS HANDA Senior Open

Jerry Kelly and Cameron Percy will take a share of the lead into the final round of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open after a back-and-forth battle in windy conditions at Gleneagles during Saturday’s third round.

The lead changed hands several times between the final pairing on Saturday but a final-hole eagle from Percy saw the third-round leader regain his position alongside Kelly at the top of the leaderboard after 54-holes.

Playing in the final group and with no big early move from the morning starters, Percy began the round with his overnight three-shot cushion intact. An immediate bogey saw the gap narrow, and after a double-bogey at the fourth he found himself briefly tied at the top for the first time with Kelly, but very quickly regained an advantage.

Kelly had managed to get to seven-under with a birdie at the third but immediately bogeyed the fourth and then gave away two more shots at the fifth and eighth holes to make the turn at four-under and two shots adrift of the leader.

Both players made brilliant birdies at the tenth to keep the lead at two shots, made good recoveries at the 11^th, but a mistake from the tee left Percy scrambling at the 12^th while a birdie for Kelly meant a two shot swing to see them draw level at six under.

Back-to-back bogeys from Percy meant the next swing went in favour of Kelly, whose third birdie in four holes at the 13^th gave him the lead on his own for the first time on Saturday. The American’s lead soon doubled to two strokes thanks to a mistake from Percy at the 14^th, but two holes later the Australian was able to half the deficit with a birdie at 16.

After trading pars at the 17^th, both men approached the 18^th hole with a very different tactic. Percy opted for a huge 405 yard drive, while Kelly went for a rescue down the fairway from the tee, getting a great kick off the downslope and ending at the top of the ridge between two bunkers. Despite being 99 yards behind Percy, Kelly’s second shot was brilliant, landing roughly 30 yards before the green and running up to around 15 feet from the hole. While Percy was further away with his approach, it was the overnight leader who became the first man to climb back to eight-under with his eagle, while Kelly’s effort slid by the right of the hole and he ended his round with a birdie from a third round 67.

Kelly, who is already a two-time Senior Major champion, spoke about his hope that he’ll be able to carry his form over the back-nine into tomorrow as he goes in search of a title he said he might ‘treasure above all else.”

“That was different,” he said of the day. “Felt different. Hit the ball different. You know, I'm glad I started off with a solid birdie. You know, just a three-putt, leaving it short on the first one which kind of was the theme of the day, even downhill, I was leaving it short.

We teed off pretty late. So it could have grown, especially with the moisture in there, and I didn't give the moisture credit. But started liking it better coming in again but I'd like to have that from start to finish tomorrow.

“We scoreboard watch but it's still Saturday. So there's no real emotions going on for that scoreboard. Just want to position yourself for tomorrow and you want to get the job done tomorrow and that's the key.

“[to win] would be one of the most special things at this stage of my career. Like any player, I might treasure that above all else.”

Speaking after his one-over-par 71, Percy reflected on the opportunity tomorrow brings, and said that he was happy in the end after a day where he felt like he was doing everything wrong.

“Very happy with the end there. Struggled all day. I couldn't hit it. I couldn't chip it. I couldn't putt it. Then with misjudging wind I pretty much did everything wrong. So to finish birdie, par, eagle, was very nice. I'm not out of it anymore. So that's good.

"I was trying -- normally into the wind, I can like pinch it, and get it to go through the wind and I can't do it this week. For some reason, the fairways and I’m using spiny ball this week and it's going like this. I had to take three extra clubs instead of two, and at least I got them on green, which was nice. Took me a while to work that out, and then I misjudged the wind on the back nine on 12 and 13. 12 I thought I hit a good drive and had to chip it out, basically and then 13, just a bad three-putt. Pretty happy.

"Winning the British Open, normal British Open would be incredible. But at my age and with these guys I'm playing with to win a British Open here would be pretty cool."

Both at eight-under-par, the pair are three shots clear of Peter Baker, who leads the chasing pack at five-under-par after a 67 that included four birdies in his last five holes.

One shot further back is five-time DP World Tour winner Darren Fichardt, with Ernie Els, Pat Perez and Marcus Brier one behind him on three-under.