Jason Day has charged into a share of the lead at The Open with Marc Leishman, Adam Scott and Steven Bowditch all within contention heading into the final round.

The third round of The Open called for low numbers at St
Andrews and the Aussies delivered.

Playing early in the morning, Marc Leishman got the ball
rolling firing a bogey free 8-under 64, the lowest round of the tournament
launching him into the clubhouse lead on 9-under the card.

 "Today the goal
was to shoot a good round so I had a chance tomorrow. I probably wasn’t quite
expecting to do what I did, but I really put myself in it," said
Leishman who by the 16^th hole had an opportunity to record the
lowest ever round in a Major.

"I gave myself some really good chances on the last three holes, it
was disappointing not to go a couple better."

"15, 16, 17, they’re not easy holes, especially where the pin is
on 16 and 17 today. Thinking about making birdies instead of thinking about
trying to hold on and make pars like you normally do on those holes was a
pretty good mindset."

Playing with Leishman, Marcus Fraser also put in an
impressive showing, his 4-under 68 seeing him in a share of 33^rd
heading into tonight’s final round.

Teeing off in the fourth last group of the day, Jason Day
played a perfect round reeling off five birdies for a 5-under 67.

Day is well poised to claim the Major victory he so
desperately wants; he starts the final round tied for the lead on 12-under the
card with amateur Paul Dunne and Louis Oosthuizen.

"We haven’t had an Aussie win the Claret Jug since Mr Norman;
it would be nice to put my name on the Jug. We’re just trying to chase that bit
of immortality," said Day.

"That’s
probably the best way to put it is just that you’re stuck in history at that
moment, and you know that year, that person’s name on that jug is immortal in
some way. It’s just great to be able to have that piece of history and that
glory that goes along with it."

However lurking dangerously on the leaderboard is Jordan
Spieth, he is just one shot off the lead and aiming to collect his third leg of
the Major grand slam.

"I’d be very shocked if he’s not in contention going up the
last few holes," added Day of his final round playing partner, Spieth.

"He’s definitely going to be the favourite, but I still have
a lot of fans out there that are supporting me along the way."

"I hear the Aussies in the crowds and I even hear the locals
here, even people that aren’t from the UK are supporting me."

Also nicely poised to take a run at the Claret Jug is Adam
Scott. His 2-under 70 in the third round has him tied 6^th on 9-under
the card, just three shots behind Day and the leading trio.

Over the past three years Scott has been Australia’s
brightest hope of winning The Open with a memorable runner-up finish in 2012
and a further two top-5 finishes.

Steven Bowditch is putting in his best performance at a
Major and is tied 15th on 8-under the card, which could have been two shots
better if not for a late stumble in the third round.

A further two shots back on 6-under the card are Greg
Chalmers and Matt Jones, while Geoff Ogilvy joins Marcus Fraser on 5-under.

John Senden recorded his first under-par round of The Open
and is now 4-under the card courtesy of his third round performance.     

Playing his first tournament since April, Brett Rumford has
been a model of consistency firing his third 1-under the card round of the
tournament.

Scott Arnold rounds out the Aussie contingent and is 1-over
the card after three rounds of his Major debut.