Australian Jason Scrivener vaulted into a share of the lead at the Scandinavian Mixed overnight as the unique mixed gender European Tour event headed for a grandstand finish. Scrivener shot a third-round 66 to tie British woman Alice Hewson, Sweden's Caroline Hedwall and Welshman Rhys Enoch at 12-under on top. Already seventh on the Race to Dubai rankings after a career-best second at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and he is delighted to have another shot at a first European Tour win. "I love the golf course and I’m starting to get a handle on it, so another good opportunity to win a golf tournament," he said. "It’s been great. It has been really cool to compete against the girls and hopefully the guys can come out on top." Another Australian, Scott Hend, is at 11 under and just a shot from the lead having had a share of top billing during the third round. Hend shot a 69 in the third round at Vallda Golf and Country Club.

Sydney's Stephanie Kyriacou also made a run on the third day and ended up just four shots back from the lead at eight under par, with an outside chance of pulling off a win.

But the star of the show is the tournament itself, which has a cluster of men and women contending. The week started with 78 men and 78 women competing over the same course for the same trophy in a European Tour first and with 18 holes to go, it was still honours even between the sexes in the battle for victory and a place in the history books. Overnight leader Caroline Hedwall fired a 73 to get to 12 under alongside fellow Ladies European Tour player Hewson, who birdied three of her last four holes in a 69. Home favourite Hedwall started the day with a one shot lead and while she twice extended that advantage to two despite a bogey bogey start, a double bogey on the 17th left the event wide open. "I didn’t feel any pressure," she said. "It is tough conditions and anything can happen. I think I handled it really well and I had a bad start but fought back and I’m really proud of myself for keeping on fighting. I’m quite happy, 73 is not a bad score in these conditions, but with the finish that I had I’m not that happy right now. It feels good to still be up there and I’m looking forward to tomorrow." Hewson will also have the chance to become the European Tour's first female winner and the Englishwoman was taking it all in her stride. “It was a lot of fun out there!" she said. "It was really really tough, it has been windy all day and I got off to a bit of a slow start, so I’m really happy. I think tomorrow I will probably be a bit nervous especially on the first tee. We will try to stay relaxed and just one shot at a time and whatever happens happens.”

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