Calcavecchia, 2 others tied at Senior British

Associated Press

WALTON ON THE HILL, England

Mark Calcavecchia surrendered a three-shot cushion to end the third round of the Senior British Open on Saturday tied for the lead with fellow American Russ Cochran and South Africa’s David Frost.

Calcavecchia, the co-leader after the first and second rounds at Walton Heath, was in cruise control at 10 under with six holes remaining before imploding when his accuracy off the tee deserted him.

A disastrous triple-bogey 7 at No. 13 — after driving into the heather beside the fairway — was followed by another dropped shot on No. 16, although the 1989 British Open champion salvaged something from his round with a neat birdie at the final hole.

Calcavecchia, bidding to become the fourth player to capture the British Open double, shot 72 to put him at 7-under 209. His stumble gave a bunched-up field renewed hope in the Champions Tour’s third major of the year.

Frost shot a bogey-free 66, tied for lowest round of the week on the parkland course just south of London, while Cochran’s 67 included a double-bogey 6 on No. 14.

Corey Pavin, the United States’ 2010 Ryder Cup captain, and England’s Barry Lane each shot 69 and were a shot off the lead, with three more Americans — Chip Beck, Mike Goodes and Lee Rinker — at 5 under.

Three-time winner Tom Watson was one of four players a further stroke behind after a 69 in a third round played in overcast conditions with a light breeze.

Calcavecchia, who has been in a three-way share of the lead after every round this tournament, described his errant driving on the back nine as “army golf,” because it alternated between going left and right off the tee.

“Today was exactly what’s been happening to me all year,” said Calcavecchia, who is without a tournament victory in 2011. “I drive it great for a while and then I just lose it.”