Waring maintains lead in Portugal despite Jamieson's 60
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Vilamoura, Portugal (SportsNetwork.com) - Paul Waring carded a 4-under 67 on Saturday to remain on top of the leaderboard at the Portugal Masters.
Waring, who was one of three overnight leaders, finished three rounds at Oceanico Victoria Golf Club at 16-under-par 197. He will seek his first career win on the European Tour on Sunday.
Scott Jamieson flirted with 59 during his third round, but failed to convert a birdie chance at the 18th to post an 11-under 60, vaulting him into a share of second place with Simon Thornton (65), Jamie Donaldson (66) and second-round co-leader Hennie Otto (69) at 14-under 199.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pablo Larrazabal (64), Alvaro Quiros (68) and Chris Doak (69) are tied for sixth at minus-13.
David Lynn also held a share of the second-round lead, but tripped to a 2-over 73 during his third round to fall into a tie for 16th place at 10-under 203.
Jamieson's run at the European Tour's first-ever 59 started with a birdie at the second before he reeled off four straight gains from the fourth to move to 8-under.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He capped his outward 29 with a birdie at the ninth, and he stayed hot around the turn by making it three straight birdies at the 10th and 11th.
Another birdie at the 13th moved him to 12-under and placed him in a tie with the overnight leaders, who had yet to start their third round.
Jamieson would par the next two holes to stay there and force him to play his final three holes at 3-under to reach 59.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He placed the goal well within reach as he birdied the 16th and 17th to move to 14-under, but at the 18th, his approach at the par-4 closing hole rolled off the back edge of the green.
Needing to chip in from 15 feet to post 59, his birdie attempt rolled just past the right edge of the hole and he tapped in for par and a 60.
"When I birdied the 13th, I said to Richard (his caddie) 'A few more and we could be part of history'," Jamieson said. "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."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jamieson's prediction seemed premature as the winds picked up in the afternoon and no one was able to meet his pace until Thornton put together a strong run of six birdies in a seven-hole stretch from the seventh to join Jamieson at 14-under. He would par his final five holes to stay there.
Quiros made it a three-way tie for the lead with an 18-foot eagle putt at the 12th. The Spaniard had played his first 11 holes at 2-under by surrounding birdies at the first and fifth with nine pars.
Baldwin and Waring would later join the group tied at minus-14 with gains at the 15th and 12th, respectively, before Baldwin's 2-putt bogey at the 16th dropped him a shot off the pace.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Doak took his place atop the leaderboard with back-to-back birdies at the 14th and 15th to again make it a five-way tie at 14-under. Doak had a chance to grab the outright lead after finding the green off the tee of the driveable par-4 15th, but could not convert his eagle attempt.
There was another swap at the top of the leaderboard when Otto posted consecutive gains at the 14th and 15th to move to 14-under, while Quiros bogeyed the 17th after finding the water to lose his share of the lead.
It became even more crowded at 14-under when Donaldson closed his round with a gain at the 18th to meet Jamieson, Thornton, Doak, Waring and Otto in first place. Donaldson's bogey-free round also included birdies at the third, ninth and 16th.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Someone was finally able to break out of the pack when Waring converted a 9- foot birdie putt at the 16th to claim the outright lead at 15-under. He added a birdie at the 17th to move two clear of the field before closing with a par at the last.
"It was very good towards the end of the round. I started a bit poorly and didn't quite hit it close enough, but holed some nice putts towards the end of the day," Waring said. "I feel pretty good, two ahead, so we will see what happens tomorrow."
Doak, meanwhile, closed his round with a bogey at the 18th to finish at 13- under.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NOTES: Jamieson's 60 was the 18th on The European Tour and second this season, as Peter Uihlein recorded a 60 at Kingsbarns during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship ... Jamieson also set the course record on Saturday. Martin Kaymer and Jeppe Huldahl shared the previous record at 61.