Zhou Jun yesterday fired a two-under 70 to go two shots clear of Taiwan’s Chan Yih-shin going into the final round of the Omega China Tour’s season-ending event at the Beijing Longxi Hotspring Golf Club.
Zhou, 24, is the outright leader at five-under after sharing pole position for the first two days, while Chan, who also shot 70, is five strokes clear of the chasing pack.
Zhou will also play for the fourth successive day with Wu Kangchun, his best friend, whose 76 left him two-over and sharing third place with Johnson Xing Xiaoxuan, the second-round co-leader. Xing, 27, kept up with the pace until the par-three 16th, when a triple-bogey saw him fall back and finish with a 77. A visibly frustrated Li Chao ended with a 73 to lie fifth on three-over, meaning he has only a remote chance of the victory required to win his third Omega Order of Merit in four seasons.
PHOTO:AFP
Liao Guiming, the current Omega Order of Merit leader, struggled with a stiff neck as an 81 put him joint 20th on nine-over.
Tianjin-based Zhou is in the form of his life after spending July and August in Beijing working with former national coach Song Qingli, helping him produce a fourth-place finish at the Tianjin Championship two weeks ago, his best-ever finish on Tour.
■HERO HONDA INDIAN OPEN
AFP, NEW DELHI
China’s Liang Wen-chong held on to a slender one-stroke lead after firing his second straight 71 in the third round at the Hero Honda Indian Open yesterday.
Liang, last year’s Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, produced a 14-under 202 total for a narrow advantage over Australia’s Adam Blyth, who nailed a 66 at the Delhi Golf Club.
Australia’s Unho Park was pleased with his 66 in lone third place, while Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing posted a 67 to grab fourth spot in the US$1 million Asian Tour event.
New Zealand’s Mark Brown, who is the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, was in the mix in a tie for fifth place after a 69, alongside India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, who posted a 68.
After a five-stroke lead in the first two rounds, Liang held his game together firing four birdies against a bogey and a double-bogey.
“I feel good about my game, but this is the first time I’ve been in this position, leading for so long, so it’s something new to me,” Liang said. “The holes here are tough and it’s always a challenge. I wasn’t playing safe, but at the same time I can’t really be aggressive here.”
In-form Blyth closed in on Liang after a solid 66.
“It’s nice to see my putts drop today. But I’m surprised with where I am at the moment. After the first two rounds, I thought Liang was going to run away with it, but now I see I have a chance,” Blyth said. “I’ve been enjoying a good year and I’ve learned a lot from my experience at the British Open.”
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