SANDWICH, England A day that began with howling rain and wind ended in bright sunshine, a turn of meteorological fortune that helped sort out a bunched-up field at the British Open.

Darren Clarke was among those catching a break with the weather, shooting a 1-under 69 today for a one-stroke lead heading to the final round and putting little Northern Ireland in position to claim its third major championship in a little over a year.

If somebody had given me 69 before I was going out to play, I would have bitten their hand off for it, Clarke said.

Then, the persnickety weather along the English seaside took a sudden turn for the better.

We did get very fortunate with the draw, Clarke conceded. Sometimes to win any tournament the draw can make a big difference, but in the Open championship it makes a huge difference. We got very lucky.

Clarke doesnt have it locked up yet. Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler led an American charge up the board, looking to end the countrys longest drought without a major title in the modern Grand Slam era.

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Clarke was at 5-under 205, with Johnson just one shot behind after his second straight 68. Fowler posted a matching 68 and was at 208, tied with first-round leader Thomas Bjorn, still in position to erase the memory of his meltdown at Royal St. Georges in 2003.

Through lunchtime, heavy showers and winds gusting over 30 mph forced players to don bulky, oven-style mitts between shots, huddle under flapping umbrellas and try to find a way to get around the course without giving up too many shots to par today.

It was playing stupidly difficult, said Edoardo Molinari, who sloshed to a 76. Some holes were just a joke.

But the foul weather eased up in time for those with late tee times to start putting up red numbers. It sure sorted out the 71-player field, which had been separated by only seven strokes going into the day. Now, the margin from top to bottom is 20, with only 11 players within five shots of the lead.

Clarke posted his third straight round in the 60s, suddenly a contender for his first major championship after coming into the Open as a 42-year-old afterthought.

He used to be the face of Northern Ireland golf, only to get left in the background by two of his younger countrymen. First, Graeme McDowell won the 2009 U.S. Open. Then, Rory McIlroy romped to an eight-stroke win in that same championship last month at Congressional.

Now, all eyes are on Clarke. McIlroy faded from contention with a 74, his round ruined by a double-bogey at the 14th where he drove it out of bounds. The 22-year-old is now a staggering nine strokes behind Clarke, with little hope of claiming the claret jug on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Fowler, playing with McIlroy, teed off about the time the worst of the rain lashed the course. But the American phenom held it together better than his partner, and birdied three holes down the stretch after the weather improved.

I had quite a bit of fun out there, Fowler said. Obviously, it wasnt the best of conditions. But you knew it was going to be tough, and you just had to make the best of it.

Another American, 2009 U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, started the day tied with Clarke but struggled in the final group with a 73. Hell have some work to do to win a second major title, four shots back at 209 and tied with Spains Miguel Angel Jimenez.

The group at 210 included Phil Mickelson, whos never played especially well in the British Open but seems to be approaching links golf with a better attitude. He carved out a 71 to stay in contention.

Lefty is the last of the Americans to win a major, taking the 2010 Masters. Since then, theyve gone five straight without a title, but theyll have plenty of challengers to send at Clarke on Sunday. Anthony Kim and Davis Love III also were within five strokes.

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