Gallacher hits the front in Dubai

Last updated: 3rd February 2013

Stephen Gallacher holed a 40-yard bunker shot on the final hole on his way to a third-round 62 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

After tying his best ever score on Tour with a 63 on Friday, the 38-year-old opened a three-stroke lead over South Africa's Richard Sterne after his personal best round on Saturday.

The Scot is now in an excellent position to claim only his second European Tour victory, after winning at St Andrews more than nine years ago for the first time.

Two strokes further behind is Dane Thorbjørn Olesen, with England's Tommy Fleetwood, Indian Jeev Milkha Singh and Chile's Felipe Aguilar two shots further behind on 14-under.

"The moment I hit it it was either stiff or in," he said of his miraculous shot on the final hole. "I'm excited and looking forward to tomorrow. I'm pretty familiar with his course - I come out here on holiday with the family.

"I struggled last week in Qatar and my driver cracked, but with the new one I'm hitting more fairways and I've putted really good."

Sterne - who was the leader after each of the first two rounds - would have expected to maintain his advantage at the top of the leaderboard with a round of 66 on Friday after e made six birdies in the final 12 holes.

Oleson shot a 67 in his third round, while Fleetwood birdies the final two holes for a round of 69 after he double-bogeyed the six after three-putting.

Three-time runner-up at the event Westwood moved to ninth overall after his round of 66, but he is still nine shots behind the leader and is unlikely to challenge for honours on Sunday.

Struggling with a niggling back injury, Sergio Garcia managed only a 71 to drop down to joint 19th, while fellow Scot - Chris Doak - found the water on the seventh to finish Saturday's round in a tie for 10th.