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SINGAPORE, March 11: Singapore’s Mardan Mamat is on course to become the first home winner of the Singapore Masters after he pulled one stroke clear in a scintillating third round of the $1million event on Saturday.
Having shared or held the lead since the tournament started on Thursday, 38-year-old Mamat, who has linked his impressive form to his vast knowledge of the course, continued to reign supreme as he offset two bogeys with four birdies to card a two-under-par 70.
Fired up by a boisterous local crowd, the 2004 Indian Open winner blitzed through the front nine of the Laguna National Golf and Country Club with birdies on the first, sixth and ninth holes.
The Singaporean carded another impressive birdie, this time on the daunting 563-yard 15th hole, before stuttering with bogeys on the final two holes either side of a rain-forced interval.
Hot on Mamat’s heels is defending champion Nick Dougherty, who secured second place after digging deep to card a five-under-par 67 going into the final day of the one-million-dollar event, jointly sanctioned by the Asian and European Tours.
Third round scores:
205 - Mardan Mamat 65-70-70
206 - Nick Dougherty 69-70-67
207 - Charlie Wi 69-73-65, Ross Fisher 71-68-68
208 - Chapchai Nirat 73-69-66
209 - Andrew Butterfield 74-69-66, Anders Hansen 69-74-66
210 - Wade Ormsby 67-71-72, Prayad Marksaeng 67-69-74
211 - Prom Meesawat 73-71-67, Danny Chia 75-68-68, Joakim Haeggman 72-70-69, Marcus Fraser 65-76-70, Peter Hanson 70-69-72
212 - Thammanoon Srirot 73-72-67, Anthony Kang 75-70-67, Andrew Marshall 73-70-69, Simon Yates 72-71-69, Lu Wei-chih 69-72-71, Matthew Millar 73-69-70, Stuart Little 71-69-72
Toms moves one clear
MIAMI: David Toms moved one shot clear in the Classic second round at Palm Beach Gardens on Friday after an unusual bogey-eagle-bogey finish.
The world number eight, one of four leaders overnight, completed a second successive five-under-par 67 for a 10-under total of 134 at the Country Club at Mirasol.
Fellow American Billy Mayfair was alone in second place after a matching 67, with defending champion Padraig Harrington a further stroke back in a five-way tie for third, also after a 67.
Second round scores:
134 - David Toms 67-67
135 - Billy Mayfair 68-67
138 - Daniel Chopra 73-65, Mathias Gronberg 67-71, Padraig Harrington 71-67, Geoff Ogilvy 67-71
139 - Stephen Ames 70-69, Paul Azinger 72-67, Luke Donald 72-67, Brian Gay 68-71, Jeff Gove 68-71, Scott Hend 69-70, Jason Schultz 68-71, Lee Westwood 73-66
140 - Marco Dawson 74-66, Ryuji Imada 67-73, Daisuke Maruyama (JPN) 70-70, Shigeki Maruyama 71-69
141 - Henrik Bjornstad 71-70
142 - Thomas Levet 74-68, Greg Owen 71-71
143 - Robert Allenby 75-68, Alex Cejka 72-71, Jesper Parnevik 71-72
144 - Carlos Franco 72-72, Carl Pettersson 76-68
145 - Bernhard Langer 74-71, Stephen Leaney 73-72
146 - Mathew Goggin 71-75, David McKenzie 74-72
147 - Brian Davis 76-71, Jon Mills 73-74, Ian Poulter 75-72, Camilo Villegas 73-74.—Agencies
