Freak bounce saves Australian Senden at the last

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland, July 21 (Reuters) Australian John Senden breathed a sigh of relief after a freak deflection saved him from running up an ugly score at the 18th hole in the third round of the British Open today.

The 42-year-old from Brisbane, playing in the second match of the day alongside American Hunter Mahan, drove into a hazard and then compounded his error by hitting a wayward fourth shot with his three-wood.

Senden's ball went way right before clattering into a metal railing and careering across the green to the other side.

The ball was travelling at speed and seemed certain to go out of bounds but luck smiled on him again as it remained in play after thumping against a fence post.

''It was an ugly shot,'' Senden told reporters after getting away with a double-bogey six and a level-par 71.

''The crowd were yelling out on the left of the green and I thought, 'how the hell did it get over there?,'' he added after finishing with a four-over total of 217.

''I guess I was very lucky not to get an eight or nine. It would have been a long walk back to hit another shot.'' His double-bogey wiped out the eagle three he made after drilling home a 60-foot putt at the 14th.

Senden, who won the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic in 2006, said the finishing holes were tough at Carnoustie.

''You've got to stand up and deliver down the stretch because even if you have a good round going, anything can happen, just like it did for me on the 18th,'' he said.

Reuters BJR RN1835