The Dunhill Links Championship leaderboard looked more like the Northern Irish Open after the conclusion of the third round.

Michael Hoey was top of the bill at 18 under par after a 66 at Carnoustie. He'll play Cleveland Launcher TL 310 Driver
in the final group with fellow countryman Graeme McDowell, who is three shots behind after a 67 at St. Andrews. Rory McIlroy is at 13 under par after a 66 over the Old Course on a day with hardly a breath of wind that rendered the grand old lady of Fife toothless. She coughed up two 63s, by Luke Donald and Simon Dyson, which equaled McIlroy's course record set at the 2010 British Open, and a 64 from Padraig Harrington, which propelled him into contention at 13 under par.

"There's nothing special in the water up there in Northern Ireland," McDowell said.

Whatever it is they should distil it, bottle it and sell it.

McDowell and Hoey played in amateur teams together for Ulster and Ireland and used to hang out as teenagers at Royal Portrush. Hoey, the 2001 British Amateur Champion, won the Madeira Islands Open earlier this year, but he was supposed to challenging for major trophies along with McDowell and McIlroy after playing alongside McDowell and Donald in the 2001 Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team that beat the United States at Sea Island, Ga. Now at age 32 Hoey has his chance to graduate to the big leagues at the home of golf Cleveland Launcher TL 310 Driver
, but his mental frailties in the spotlight are well-known. Hoey is honest enough to admit it himself.

After the hangover he has endured since his U.S. Open victory last year, McDowell was delighted to be back on a leaderboard among the game's elite.

McIlroy also claimed to have no idea why Northern Ireland's golfers have the Midas touch at the moment.