Peter Baker will head into the final round of the ISPS HANDA Senior Open within striking distance after producing one of the rounds of the day at Gleneagles, leaving the Staysure Legends Tour stalwart just three shots off the lead.

The Englishman carded a four-under-par 67, highlighted by four birdies across his final five holes, to climb into solo third on five-under-par and keep his hopes of a first Senior Major Championship firmly alive.

Baker sits behind co-leaders Cameron Percy and Jerry Kelly, who share top spot on eight-under after an absorbing third-round battle in testing conditions on the King’s Course.

While Percy and Kelly traded the lead throughout the afternoon, Baker quietly worked his way into contention with another composed display. After reaching the turn in level par, the eight-time Staysure Legends Tour winner caught fire coming home, birdieing the 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th to post the lowest score among the leading contenders.

Victory on Sunday would represent another landmark achievement for one of the Legends Tour’s most consistent performers. Baker would claim his ninth Staysure Legends Tour title in his 110th start, his first Senior Major Championship and become just the third Englishman to win the Senior Open, following Neil Coles in 1987 and Paul Broadhurst in 2016.

Already a three-time DP World Tour winner and three-time HotelPlanner Tour champion, Baker is chasing the 19th professional victory of his career, having last lifted a Legends Tour trophy at the 2025 Costa Navarino Legends Tour Trophy.

At the top of the leaderboard, Percy and Kelly produced a dramatic back-and-forth contest throughout the afternoon.

Percy began the day with a three-shot advantage but an early bogey followed by a double-bogey at the fourth allowed Kelly to draw level. Momentum swung repeatedly between the pair over the closing nine holes before Percy produced a spectacular eagle at the last to reclaim a share of the lead after Kelly had posted a closing birdie in his third-round 67.

Kelly, a two-time Senior Major Champion, believes he has put himself in the ideal position heading into Sunday.

“We scoreboard watch but it’s still Saturday. So there’s no real emotions going on for that scoreboard. Just want to position yourself for tomorrow and you want to get the job done tomorrow and that’s the key.

“[To win] would be one of the most special things at this stage of my career. Like any player, I might treasure that above all else.”

Percy admitted he struggled for much of the day before his late rally rescued his title hopes.

“Very happy with the end there. Struggled all day. I couldn’t hit it. I couldn’t chip it. I couldn’t putt it… So to finish birdie, par, eagle, was very nice. I’m not out of it anymore.”

Behind Baker, five-time DP World Tour winner Darren Fichardt occupies fourth on four-under-par, while four-time Major Champion Ernie Els, Pat Perez and reigning NI Legends champion Markus Brier share fifth on three-under.

With Baker carrying momentum into Sunday and just three shots separating him from the summit, the experienced Englishman has every chance of adding the Senior Open title to an already outstanding career.

For full leaderboard, click here.

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