Chalmers in charge for Masters

GREG Chalmers has surged towards the top of the Houston Open leaderboard as he tries to make a late entry into the US Masters.

Needing to win to join fellow Australians Adam Scott, Jason Day, Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith in the Masters field, Chalmers fired a brilliant seven-under par 65 at the Golf Club of Houston to fast-track his way into contention.

The 44-year-old Chalmers sits in a tie for of third at 12 under, just two shots off the 54-hole lead shared by England’s Ian Poulter and American Beau Hossler.

Poulter matched Chalmers’ 65 as the best round of the day to follow up his second-round 64 as he also tries to qualify for Augusta.

Starting his round on the 10th hole, Chalmers strung together successive birdies on the 11th, 12th and 13th before carding his lone bogey for the round at the par-four 17th.

He soon recovered from that lapse with a birdie on the first hole on his inward nine and picked up a further four shots, and is easily the bestplaced Australian.

Sitting one shot behind Chalmers is a group of six players including Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (69).

Jordan Spieth (71) is in a group on 10-under 206.

The day turned dark for Rickie Fowler as the American went from being the early leader to five strokes off the pace after a round that included a bogey, a double bogey and a triple bogey to go with five birdies.