Golf: Coltart in a Russ-h

SCOTLAND'S Andrew Coltart and Englishman David Ryles are leading the British challenge at the BMW Russian Open in Moscow.

Tournament favourite Coltart - the highest ranking player in the field - is four shots off the pace at Le Meridien Moscow Country Club after his third round 69 left him on 11 under par 205.

Ryles is only one behind joint leaders Marcus Fraser and Martin Wiegele after shooting a four-under 68.

Aussie Fraser and Wiegele, from Austria, fired 68 and 67 respectively to tie on 15-under-par 201, with Spain's Jose Manuel Carilles alongside Coltart on 11 under.

Coltart admitted he could not get his putter going - but made no excuses, despite the two-hour delay in play due to lightening storms.

"I played all right, but it just wasn't meant to be," said the 33- year-old.

"I didn't really roll any big putts in and get on a roll.

"You needed to be three or four under for the front nine and I bogeyed the seventh to get back to level for the nine, so that was a bit of sticking point - I didn't really get off to a start.

"The delay didn't really affect me because nothing was really going for me anyway.

"I was kind of hoping that when I went back out there I could have turned things around, but I left a birdie putt something like three feet short, so that wasn't what I hoping for.

"It sort of signified the kind of charge I was making - the one that never got off the ground."

Fraser had a disappointing finish, making two bogeys in his closing three holes after playing some beautiful golf and getting to six under for the day after 15 holes.

The Australian - a two-time winner on this season's European Challenge Tour - is well aware of the cost of his dropped shots, but is confident in his ability to get back into some good form today.

"I'm very disappointed with my finish," confessed Fraser.

"I bogeyed 16 after a bad tee shot then hit the ball in the water on 17 and made a good par in the end. Then I hit a bad tee shot on the last and had to settle for bogey.

"Apart from that, it was probably the best I've played all week for 15 holes.

"I didn't putt all that well which is a good thing to be six under for the round at that stage and not be putting that well - I can take some positives from that.

"I think I missed about five or six makeable putts and that makes the difference at the end of the day.

"I really could have probably extended my lead, but had two costly bogeys which is expensive when it brings you back into the field.

"I'm still in a good position, though."

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