SOTOGRANDE, Spain (PA) -- Robert Karlsson promised a marshal "as many beers as he wants" after staying on course for the European Order of Merit title on Thursday.

Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen leads the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama by three over Sergio Garcia after a brilliant 6-under-par 65. But despite only managing a 73, Karlsson is still looking good for the money list crown as Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Miguel Angel Jimenez -- the only three players who can overtake him -- are not where they need to be.

The Swede's round was slipping away from him when he drove into bushes on the long 11th, but the marshal risked cutting himself to ribbons by crawling in to retrieve the ball.

"We could see five balls in there, but couldn't identify them," said Karlsson. "There were a lot of thorns and things, but he volunteered to go in and found it."

It meant Karlsson did not have to go all the way back to the tee, and after salvaging a par on the hole he birdied the 15th and 18th for an inward 34.

Harrington, who requires a top-two finish to have a chance of regaining the No. 1 spot, managed only a 76 to be joint 43rd of the 57-strong field.

Westwood and Jimenez, who have to win on Sunday, finished the day tied for fifth and 16th respectively after returning 70 and 73.

The day belonged to Kjeldsen, though, on his return to the course where he lost a playoff to Justin Rose a year ago.

One of Kjeldsen's backers is troubled Icelandic bank Landsbanki. But with a first prize of more than $900,000 on offer this weekend -- and career earnings of almost $6.5 million -- he does not need and is not looking for any sympathy.

"A lot of people are worse off than me, losing their jobs," said the 33-year-old after one of the rounds of his life. "Whether I lose a little bit of sponsorship or not, I am going to be okay."

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