Mathew Goggin clung to the lead after the third round of the Australian PGA Championship yesterday, with former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and Australian Masters winner Rod Pampling closing in.
Australian Goggin struck a three-under 69 for a total score of 12-under 204, just one stroke ahead of Ogilvy and Pampling.
Goggin finished with three birdies on his closing four holes, including an immaculate approach to the 18th green less than a meter from the pin.
PHOTO: AP
“It was a knock down six iron from 150m,” Goggin said. “I played quite well today and threw a few away during the middle of the round where I had a couple of three putts and didn’t take advantage of some good play, so it was nice to finish off strong.”
Ogilvy surged into contention with a spectacular chip in for birdie at the last hole for a five-under 67, including six birdies and a bogey.
“Maybe it [the chip in] was good karma for missing all those putts during the day,” he said.
Ogilvy, who is bidding to break his drought in home tournaments, said: “We play all around the world and you win tournaments all around the world ... Obviously I want to win at home.”
Pampling has a chance to head to next week’s Australian Open in Sydney chasing a rare treble if he follows up his Australian Masters win last weekend by collecting the Joe Kirkwood Cup today.
He had an inconsistent day that included seven birdies and three bogeys on the way to a four-under 68.
Goggin’s playing partner and fellow overnight leader Jarrod Lyle led for much of the third round, but after going 39 holes without a blemish from the ninth on the opening day he faltered, coming home with three bogeys in a 71.
Lyle is two strokes off the lead along with fellow Australian Peter O’Malley, whose 67 pushed him into joint fourth spot.
Ten players are within five shots of Goggin, with Chris Gaunt (68) and joint first-round leader Tim Wilkinson (69) of New Zealand tied for sixth on nine-under and Scott Strange (69) and two-time champion Peter Senior (71) a shot further adrift.
■NEDBANK CHALLENGE
AFP, SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson extended his lead to six strokes before lightning stopped play for the day in the second round of the Nedbank Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club on Friday.
Stenson followed his blistering nine-under 63 on Thursday by playing the first 10 holes of the second round in three-under.
“I was scrambling a bit more compared to yesterday,” he said. “But I am playing well. I am not trying to defend a lead. If I can give myself enough birdie opportunities I can keep moving forward.”
Stenson sank a six-foot birdie putt on the par-five 11th shortly before play was stopped.
His nearest challenger for the US$1.2 million first prize, Rory Sabbatini, was two-under for the day, but had a birdie putt of a similar length when the siren sounded and the players had to mark their balls and leave the course.
The biggest mover of the day was K.J. Choi of South Korea, who was five-under after 13 to move to within one of Sabbatini and six behind Stenson.
Sweden’s Robert Karlsson was a further stroke back on a day when eight of the 12-man field played sub-par golf.
Choi had a run of three successive birdies which was halted by the suspension of play.
But the South Korean said he was not concerned about having his momentum interrupted.
“I take it hole by hole and will go out tomorrow and start again,” he said.
Choi, playing Sun City for the first time, said he understood the course better and said he felt relaxed after attending a sponsor’s party at an artificial beach, followed by a good night’s sleep.
“I started feeling good with my putter,” he said. “I sank a few good putts to save par on the first nine and then I started making a few to make birdies.”
Stenson’s only blemish on Friday came at the first hole when he hit his tee shot into thick rough and was well short of the green with his second shot.
Stenson hit straight back with a two-putt birdie at the par-five second, hit a seven-iron to four feet for another birdie at the fifth and pitched to three feet for another birdie at the par-five ninth.
England’s Lee Westwood played steady golf to be three-under for the tournament after completing 11 holes, but pre-tournament favorite Sergio Garcia was 10 off the pace after 12 holes.
Defending champion Trevor Immelman seemed out of contention at one-over after playing 13 holes.
■NIPPON SERIES CUP
AP, TOKYO
Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng shot a seven-under 63 yesterday to grab a share of the lead with Japan’s Toshinori Muto at the Nippon Series Cup tournament.
Prayad, who won last month’s Dunlop Phoenix, opened with three straight birdies and added four more at the Tokyo Yomiuri Country Club to finish tied at nine-under 201 with Muto, who shot a 66.
Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa offset a pair of bogeys with six birdies for a 66 and is a further stroke back, along with Taichi Teshima (65) and overnight leader Jeev Milkha Singh of India (68).
■VIETNAM MASTERS
AFP, HO CHI MINH CITY
Thai star Thongchai Jaidee fired a two-under 70 to join Japan’s Kodai Ichihara and South Korea’s Pyo Suk-min atop the leaderboard at the Hana Bank Vietnam Masters yesterday.
Thongchai, a former Asian Tour No. 1, made four birdies for a 10-under 206 total in the third round. Pyo, the overnight leader, shot a 73, while Ichihara was even-par at the Vietnam Golf and Country Club.
South Korea’s Young Nam and Britain’s Rhys Davies shot matching 70s to put them in a tie for fourth place with Filipino Artemio Murakami, who posted a 71 for a 207 total. Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant carded a 71 and was in the mix in seventh place alongside countryman Pijit Petchkasem, who improved with a 69 in the US$500,000 tournament.
■US LPGA Q-SCHOOL
AFP, DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
Michelle Wie, needing only a top-20 finish to claim a LPGA Tour berth next year, fired a par 72 on Friday to share third after the third round of a five-day, 90-hole qualifying tournament.
American Mollie Fankhouser fired a six-under 66 on the Legends layout to grab the lead at 12-under 204, one stroke ahead of Japan’s Shiho Oyama, who fired a 71.
Wie and American Stacy Lewis were third on 206, two strokes ahead of South Korean Amy Yang and American Charlotte Mayorkas, with France’s Sophie Giquel seventh on 209.
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