Sweden's Peter Hedblom defied greens he claimed were the worst he has played on this year to take a one-shot lead into the final day of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

Hedblom, loser of a play-off in Holland last week, fired a third round 68 on Saturday to overtake former British Open champion Paul Lawrie, whose bogeys at the 15th and 16th holes led to a one over 73.

They are eight under par and seven under respectively with 18 holes to play and Hedblom said: "The scoring would be much lower if the greens were better.

"You know you're going to miss some short ones and you just need to keep cool - but it's tough."

His only dropped shot came on the 13th when he failed to hole from under three feet.

Hedblom has recently started a practice putting routine of holing eight three-foot putts in a row and then eight from four feet, but he added: "I haven't managed it once this week.

"I was there almost two hours the other day and was pulling my hair out. I'm supposed to keep going until I do it, but I just had to stop."

Last year Lee Westwood called for the greens to be ripped up and relaid before the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Next August the course will again be staging the final counting event for Europe's side and captain Colin Montgomerie - also this week's tournament chairman - admits the problem will not be solved by then.

Montgomerie, who returned a 72 to remain level par, stated: "They have a five-year (improvement) plan and this is the second year.

"There is obviously work to do and it is on-going. By definition a five-year plan takes five years. The greens won't improve now, but there is nothing to worry about for the Ryder Cup - they will be fantastic by then.

"They weren't so good at the K Club about five or six years before the Ryder Cup was played there and they were fine come the championship, so I think the same goes for these."

Four players are only two behind - Lawrie's fellow Scot Steven O'Hara, Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Dane Soren Hansen and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy.

O'Hara is trying to become the first player in European Tour history to win after surviving the halfway cut with nothing to spare.

The 29-year-old matched the low round of the week with his 66 early in the day.

After 15 holes O'Hara was a spectacular eight under for the day and joint leader, but he three-putted the long 16th for a bogey six and dropped another shot on the 194-yard 17th after bunkering his tee shot.

Once again O'Hara thanked his wife Jill for caring after their three-week-old son Logan during the night as he slept in the spare room.

"She's absolutely shattered - like a zombie - but I had a good night and I just wanted to get back into contention."