Golf: Fine life of Riley

WAYNE RILEY, unsure whether he was playing in the tournament four days ago, heads the field with a three-round aggregate of 206 at the Lyon Open.

The 31-year-old Australian, who shot 69 yesterday and finished with three birdies in his last four holes to take the lead from Sweden's Gabriel Hjertstedt by one shot, said: 'I knew I'd scratched from a tournament two weeks ago but I could not remember which one. I'm really glad that it wasn't here because I need to win in Europe to get recognition over here.'

Yesterday, starting two shots behind the overnight leader, Scotland's Gary Orr, he began with a bogey five but birdies at the second and seventh took him out in 35.

Another birdie followed at the 12th but when he bogeyed the 13th and 14th, Riley was still three shots behind Hjertstedt. Then came his remarkable finish in which he chipped to two inches at the long 15th, sank a 12-footer at the 16th and hit the 519-yard 18th in two.

LYON OPEN (Golf Club de Lyon) Leading third-round scores (GB or Irl unless stated): 206 W Riley (Aus) 69 68 69. 207 G Hjertstedt (Swe) 68 68 71. 208 S Ames (Trin & Tob) 70 67 71. 211 G Orr 69 66 76. 212 M Besanceney (Fr) 69 75 68; G J Brand 70 69 73; P Linhart (Sp) 72 68 72. 213 H Thul (Ger) 72 72 69; T Giedeon (Ger) 71 72 70. 214 E Giraud (Fr) 70 74 70; M Mackenzie 73 72 69; R Rafferty 73 70 71; D Gilford 70 73 71; J Payne 71 69 74. 215 C Mason 75 70 70; J McHenry 73 71 71; P Walton 72 71 72; G Brand Jnr 73 69 73; M Farry (Fr) 69 73 73; P Mitchell 73 69 73; J Robinson 72 69 74; M Tunnicliff 72 68 75.