Oosthuizen falls behind

Open champion Louis Oosthuizen blamed a "stupid" shot for dropping one off the lead with a round to go at the Nordea Scandinavian Masters in Stockholm.

Oosthuizen, trying to become the first player ever to follow a Claret Jug victory with another European Tour win a week later, was tied with Swede Richard Johnson and Korean KJ Choi when he pulled his approach to the last into sand.

Splashing out to 18 feet and missing the putt dropped the 27-year-old South African to nine under par and it means Johnson and Choi go head-to-head in the final group again on Sunday.

Johnson matched Oosthuizen's two under 70, while halfway leader Choi managed only a 71 after experiencing what he called "all four seasons in one day".

It was windy, it was wet and for one stroke it was very cold too for the 40-year-old, whose only European success was the 2003 German Masters.

Choi hit his second to the long 13th into the edge of the lake and chose to take his shoes and socks off and wade in to try to splash the ball out.

He went over the green with it before salvaging his par, but found himself in a three-way tie when Johnson and Oosthuizen birdied the 622-yard 15th and he missed from five feet.

Johnson has a friend - a local restauranteur, radio host and someone he describes as "kind of a comedian" - acting as his caddie this week.

His regular in the States, where the 33-year-old is based, is Lance Ten Broeck, but he was playing in the British Senior Open at Carnoustie this week.

New Zealander Mark Brown, with a best-of-the-day 67, and Argentina's Rafa Echenique (72) are joint fourth on seven under, while Italian Edoardo Molinari, who could force himself into the all-important top nine on the European Ryder Cup table with a top two finish, is one further back.