Scott Jamieson almost became the first player to card a sub-60 round on the European Tour in the Portugal Masters on Saturday. The 29-year-old Scotsman needed a birdie on the tricky par-four 18th to record a sensational 59, but his chip from the rough brushed the edge of the hole after his approach shot had rolled to the back of the green. That failed to take the gloss of a stunning 11-under-par third round in the Algarve just a day after the Glaswegian had only made the cut by one shot at the Oceanico Victoria course. It was just the 18th round of 60 in the history of the European Tour, but it is Englishman Paul Waring – joint-leader heading into the third round – who leads the way on 16 under after picking up four of his five birdies on the back nine in a four under round of 66. Waring, seeking for his maiden European Tour victory, holds a two-shot advantage over Jamieson, Irishman Simon Thornton, Jamie Donaldson of Wales and South African Hennie Otto. But it was Jamieson&aposs day, as he rattled in six birdies on the front nine and then another five to jump 50 places on the leaderboard and give himself a chance of lifting his second European Tour title, with his first coming at The Nelson Mandela Championship last December. Jamieson said: “I said to Richard (his caddie) playing 17 I really want to make a birdie here so we have a chance of it going down the last and I could not have asked to hit a better shot in. It pitched just short of the hole…what a chip as well! “When I birdied the 13th I said to Richard then &aposA few more and we could be part of history&apos. I was definitely nervous but thinking about it from the tournament point of view the leaders are going to be a minimum of 16, 17 maybe 18 under going into tomorrow so that kept me going.” Jamieson, who shot an opening round of 66 but struggled to a 73 on Friday, added: “I played really well the first day and got nothing out of it. I was five under par but the longest putt I holed was maybe eight feet for par on one hole. “I felt like I have been playing well for a while, a few good rounds in there. Yesterday I didn&apost necessarily play poorly, just didn&apost score well so it was nice today.”
Author: Omnisport