Richard Green 18 holes away from title

Hilversum: Overnight leader Richard Green shot a three-under-par 67 on Saturday and retained a three-stroke lead over the field heading into the final round of the KLM Dutch Open at Hilversum. The 33-year-old Australian's nearest challenger is Peter Lynn of England, who shot a 65 in the third round at the Hilversumsche Golf Club. The glut of Europeans in the field may have been confident of catching overnight leader Richard Green on Saturday but the Melbourne-based Aussie finished the third round with the same lead he had begun with. Per Nyman was the highest continental European in the field as the Swede finished in equal sixth alongside New Zealand's Stephen Scahill after carding a level-par 70. If Green is to be pegged back on Sunday, the challenge is most likely to come from the British Isles. Irishman Paul McGinley, who has three wins on the European Tour, is in equal third place with two Britons - Andrew Marshall and Andrew Raitt. McGinley shot a 68 on Saturday while Raitt had a one-over-71 and Marshall a 65. Meanwhile, the day's best score of 65 came from David Lynn, who lies in outright second. Lynn, from Stoke-on-Trent in England, carded six birdies - including four in five holes on the front nine - and one bogey to post a three-under-par round to lie on a total of 12-under 208. He will enter Sunday's round three strokes behind journeyman Aussie, Richard Green. Green recorded 11 straight pars before he almost carded an eagle on 12 when a 20-metre putt just missed the cup. He birdied the hole and followed up with two more on 14 and 18 to finish on a three-under total of 67. Green will be chasing his second European Tour title on Sunday - seven years after he recorded his maiden title. The then 26-year-old became the first left-hander since 1975 to win on the Tour after landing the 1997 Dubai Desert Classic in a play-off with Ian Woosnam and Greg Norman, a victory which helped him finish 34th on the European Order of Merit, his highest finish to date. (AP)