Rose hits back to stay four ahead of Harrington

By Norman Dabell

SOTOGRANDE, Spain (Reuters) - Briton Justin Rose came back from a bad start at Valderrama on Saturday to maintain his hold on the Volvo Masters and Europe's order of merit.

Rose dropped three shots over the first two holes of the third round to allow his rival Padraig Harrington to wipe out a four-shot overnight lead.

However, Rose had fully repaired the damage by the 11th hole and by the end of the round, with his Irish opponent playing ragged golf at times, was again four shots ahead of Harrington going into Sunday's final round, having carded a level-par 71 for a four-under 209 total.

Harrington, after a similar 71, his third of the week, now shares second place with Britain's Simon Dyson.

Dyson three-putted the 17th for par and the 18th for bogey and 69 to deny himself second place on his own.

Germany's Martin Kaymer, favorite for Europe's rookie of the year award, hauled himself up to a share of fourth place on three over with the best round of the week, a 66.

Rose began calamitously, coming up woefully short on the first from the middle of the fairway and needing three more shots to get down, while Harrington made a 15-foot birdie putt after driving into the treeline.

That halved Rose's overnight lead. When the Briton then hit through the second green and needed four more shots to hole out, the rivals for the money-list title were level.