Packed leaderboard sets up dramatic Bahrain finale

Callum Tarren holds a slender one-shot advantage heading into the final round of the Bahrain Championship, but the pressure will be intense at Royal Golf Club, where a tightly packed leaderboard sees 11 players lurking within just three strokes of the lead.

The Englishman entered the third round with a two-shot advantage, but his lead was quickly challenged after a steady start of three consecutive pars.

His round gained momentum soon after, with birdies at the fourth, sixth, and seventh holes pushing him four shots clear at the top of the leaderboard.

However, the day was far from straightforward, as three bogeys over a five-hole stretch from the eighth hole allowed fellow Englishman Dan Brown to catch up and share the lead.

Despite the setbacks, he managed to maintain his composure and never relinquished the top spot. A steady finish, with pars across the final stretch, saw him card a level-par 72 and end the day in sole possession of the lead at 13 under par.

"I'm a bit frustrated really. I got off to such a good start, felt so comfortable,” said Tarren, who is seeking a first win on the DP World Tour.

"I just missed a few putts in that mid-section of the round, three-putted the eighth, a short one at the ninth, a good chance at the tenth and didn't capitalise.

"At the 11th I felt like the tee-shot wasn't bad, it got a hard kick right, I think. Then it's tough to that back flag, a short putt on the next.

"And then I kind of hung in there coming in. Frustrated but still in the lead and we'll go again tomorrow.

"I've felt comfortable all week and I felt comfortable out there today. The start showed it - through seven holes I was cruising.

"Just a couple of missed putts here and there but that's golf. Final group tomorrow again and I have the lead so there's lots of positives to take from it."

Brown, Pablo Larrazábal, Francesco Laporta and Brandon Robinson Thompson, who carded a course record 61 in the first round, sit one shot off the lead in Bahrain.

Laurie Canter is part of a quartet a shot further back, while Ivan Cantero, Tapio Pulkkanen and Joakim Lagergren share tenth, just three shots off the lead.