A fairytale finish beckons in the final round of the MasterCard Senior British Open at Royal County Down today as Jack Nicklaus fired a one under par 70 to edge to within just three shots of the lead.

Australian Ian Stanley, who challenged briefly for the title last year, leads the way on four under par after a workmanlike 70 yesterday, one stoke ahead of American David Oakley and the left-handed New Zealander Bob Charles.

But it was a disastrous day for over night leader John Bland who slumped to a five over par 76 to finish the day on level par. There was something of the inevitable about Bland's post-round press conference here on Friday evening.

Three times a runner-up in his last three appearances in the Senior British Open, the South African dismissed his one stroke lead with the air of man who has had the big prize paraded before him on other occasions, only to see it snatched from under his nose in cruel fashion at the last moment.

"Anyone within five or six shots of the lead can win this championship," he declared. "But on this course you have to look after yourself and not worry about what other people are doing."

If playing partners Oakley and Charles hadn't given Bland enough to worry about, the sight of Jack Nicklaus's name on the leaderboard must have given him pause for thought.

Drawing by far the biggest gallery of the day, Nicklaus started with a birdie four, promptly dropped two strokes and then went on a birdie rampage that coincided with a hat-trick of bogeys by 55 year old Bland.

A two at the 194 yard fourth was quickly followed by birdies at the sixth and eighth. And although the Bear was lucky to escape with a bogey five at the tough ninth, having pulled his drive into deep bracken, there was no let up on the back nine.

A six-footer obediently dropped to give the Bear his fifth birdie of the day at the long 12th and it was game on. As the back nine unfolded it fell to another of the greats, New Zealander Charles, to take up the baton in the company of Oakley with John Morgan of Wales and Stanley playing cameo roles just a shot further back.

Stanley eventually birided the 12th and 16th to come home in two under par and sneak into the lead. But it was Nicklaus who caught the imagination. Bunkered at the driveable 16th he splashed out and two putted for par to stay within a couple of shots of Charles and Oakley but then committed his second mental error of the week at the 17th.

With the course running fast, Nicklaus's tee shot found the small pond some 300 yards down the fairway and he eventually had to settle for a bogey four.

Said Nicklaus: "I hit a choked down three wood and just nutted it - couldn't believe it went in the water and made bogey. I really wasted three shots on the last three holes and it hurts.

"At 16 I hit a four wood that the wind didn't take and it went in the bunker and then at the last I hit three wood and four iron right on the flag but it kicked right into a lush lie and I hit my pitch too hard, didn't get my birdie."

He took a penalty drop and recovered to 10 feet above the hole, but missed the par putt.

Ireland's challenge petered out miserably with Kenny Stevenson (76) on seven over, Denis O'Sullivan (74) on nine over, Arthur Pierse (75) on 12 over and Paul Leonard (84) ballooning out to 16 over par for the championship. But Eddie Polland shot a one under par 70 to be the leading home challenger on just six over par.

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© Brian Keogh 2001

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