Golf: Sunesson has fillip for Faldo

ONE SWEDE, at least, stood up to the pressure in the third round of the Scandinavian Masters over the Barseback Golf and Country Club yesterday. Fanny Sunesson, who was born in these parts, was heading for another big pay-day as the willing workhorse of the world No 1 Nick Faldo. A percentage of what Faldo earns represents, for the 25-year-old caddie, an extremely lucrative living.

Faldo paid tribute to Ms 10 per cent when he won the Open at Muirfield two weeks ago and the English-Swedish partnership were in harmony again here. Faldo, who said he was exhausted after his exploits in Scotland, shot 66 yesterday to stand at eight under par for the championship.

He began the day at two under par and was in full flight by the third with an eagle three. At a hole measuring 558 yards he hit a drive and two iron to 12 feet. He had already holed from 25 feet for a birdie at the second and he had four more: out in 33, back in 33. He had another eagle chance at the 12th where he hit a five-iron approach to about 12 feet but missed the putt. His only dropped shot was at the seventh where he took three putts.

There are few players who would win an Open Championship and then welcome the heat of another competition. Faldo, remorseless in pursuit of titles, money and a place in the Hall of Fame, is one of them.

Despite his round, he was not entirely satisfied but then this is a man who never will be. 'I made a few bad swings,' he said. 'I didn't hit my short irons very well.' He was going to work on it. What he has on his mind is the US PGA Championship in St Louis the week after next, the last major of the season. What he is happy about, though, is his driving and, at the age of 35, he has never driven the ball further.

A crowd approaching 30,000 swarmed over the course - a cross between Woburn and Westward Ho] - the majority, on one of the hottest days of the year in Sweden, following Anders Forsbrand, Robert Karlsson and Per-Ulrik Johansson. The three Swedes faded and the leaderboard no longer looked like a smorgasbord. Peter O'Malley, of Australia - the one who won the Scottish Open at Gleneagles by going berserk over the last five holes - was a stroke behind Faldo at seven under and behind them came Jamie Spence of England, Frank Nobilo of New Zealand and Tony Johnstone of Zimbabwe.

SCANDINAVIAN MASTERS (Malmo) Leading third round scores (GB and Irl unless stated): 208 N Faldo 70 72 66; 209 P O'Malley (Aus) 71 70 68; 210 T Johnstone (Zim) 72 73 65; F Nobilo (NZ) 72 70 68; J Spence 70 72 68; 211 D Mijovic (Can) 72 70 69; P Baker 72 69 70; J M Olazabal (Sp) 72 67 72; 212 S Field 70 74 68; B Ogle (Aus) 72 71 69; R Allenby (Aus) 71 71 70; H Clark 67 73 72; 213 S Grappasonni (It) 72 74 67; G Turner (NZ) 75 70 68; W Westner (SA) 69 74 70; J D Blake (US) 69 73 71; P-U Johansson (Swe) 70 70 73; A Forsbrand (Swe) 69 70 74; 214 J Payne 75 72 67; R Boxall 71 75 68; S Luna (Sp) 71 74 69; R Drummond 72 72 74; V Singh (Fiji) 68 74 72; S Richardson 66 75 73; 215 J Haeggman (Swe) 71 74 70; (x) N Fast (Swe) 72 73 70; C Mason 72 71 72; R Goosen (SA) 71 72 72; C Moody 72 70 73; S Lyle 70 72 73; 216 J van de Velde (Fr) 71 74 71; M Harwood (Aus) 70 75 71; R Karlsson (Swe) 70 69 77; 217 P Walton 74 73 70; P Fowler (Aus) 75 72 70; A Sherborne 73 74 70; F Lindgren (Swe) 72 75 70; E Darcy 60 76 71; S McAllister 76 70 71; G Levenson (SA) 71 74 72; J Robinson 71 73 73; M Davis 71 71 75; 218 C Montgomerie 71 76 71; B Malley (US) 73 74 71; D Feherty 72 74 72; R Winchester 73 73 72; A Gillner (Swe) 74 72 72; R Hartmann (US) 72 72 74; G Day (US) 70 74 74; P Senior (Aus) 73 71 74; M Roe 70 72 76.