NEWPORT, Wales, May 31 (UPI) -- England's Ian Poulter takes a two-shot lead into Sunday's final round of the Wales Open after a dramatic late collapse raised Phil Price's chances of a home victory at Celtic Manor.
Poulter led by six shots with five holes of his third round to go, but he dropped four shots in the next three holes to give the chasing pack.
The 27-year-old held his nerve to birdie the last hole and card an eventful 4-under-par 68. He collected six birdies, an eagle, two bogeys and a double bogey for a 16-under total of 200.
Price matched his playing partner's score with a typically understated round containing four birdies and no dropped shots.
Poulter began the day two shots clear of the Welshman Price, the man who just beat him to the last automatic qualifying place for last year's Ryder Cup.
But he soon doubled his advantage with a birdie on the first hole and an eagle on the second, firing his long-iron approach to the 613-yard par 5 to within four feet of the flag.
Six pars followed before Poulter birdied the ninth hole to head to the second nine in 32. When he rattled in three straight birdies from the 11th, the former rookie of the year was 19-under and six shots clear.
However, errant tee shots on the next two holes cost him consecutive bogeys, and with Price having matched his birdie on the 13th and saved par on the 15th, the gap was down to four.
There was worse to come for Poulter, who has been battling a bout of tonsillitis all week.
From a fairway bunker on the 16th, Poulter's second shot flew over the green into very thick rough, and from there he only was able to hack the ball forward a few feet.
Attempting a delicate chip to the green, Poulter then fluffed his next shot a similar distance. After chipping eight feet past, he held his nerve to hole out for a double-bogey six.
By then Price had holed out for a birdie three and a three-shot swing which brought him within one of the lead.
Neither played could find the green in two on the par-5 18th, but Poulter played a superb pitch from heavy rough to four feet for a closing birdie.
Price admitted he would have to raise his game on Sunday to overhaul Poulter and claim only his third European Tour title.
"I was pretty pleased with 4-under, but rather than making a lot of birdies, I'm not making many mistakes," said Price, who lives just a few miles from the course in Newport. "It was not very exciting out there. Ian made a couple of bogeys towards
the end to let us all in but I need to make a few more birdies, four under tomorrow is not going to cut it."
Price was one stroke ahead of Swede Fredrik Jacobson with Australian Jarrod Moseley and Scot Andrew Coltart another stroke back on 12 under.
Moseley had earlier set the clubhouse target after smashing the course record by two shots with a flawless 63.
The 30-year-old raced home in just 30 shots with birdies at the 10th and 11th and each of the last four holes, to card a 12-under total of 204.
