CASEY MUST KEEP DUSTIN OFF HIS BACK

PAUL CASEY will have to fend off world No1 Dustin Johnson if he is to defend his Valspar Championship title, after a last-hole bogey saw his lead halved going into the final round.

The Englishman was two clear of the American before making a mess of the treacherous 18th at Palm Harbor to finish with a three-under par round of 68.

That leaves him on nine under with Johnson a stroke further back — and Casey now expects a real scrap.

‘I feel really good. I played really well,’ he said. ‘I would love to have kept a two-shot advantage over the world No 1 but I’m looking forward to playing with him tomorrow.

‘This is what you want to do — be playing against the very best on a great golf course.’

Casey’s compatriot Luke Donald is also in the hunt on six under, while Scotland’s Russell Knox moved through the field with a third-round 67.

The man from Inverness is now in a share of 14th place on three-under-par 210, six shots off leader Casey.

Meanwhile, Spaniard Nacho Elvira hopes to secure a maiden European Tour title this morning after closing his third round with back-to-back birdies to open up a two-shot lead heading into the final day of the Maybank Championship.

The 32-year-old began the day trailing halfway leader Thomas Pieters by a single shot, but he carded seven birdies and a single bogey at Saujana Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur to climb to the top of the leaderboard.

American David Lipsky was alone in second on 11 under par, one shot clear of Maximilian Kieffer, Jazz Janewattananond and Scott Hend. Scot David Law (74) was way back on two over.