0
SHANGHAI, Oct 20: Korea’s Charlie Wi rolled in a spectacular 30-foot birdie on the last hole Saturday to earn a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the 400,000 dollar China Open.
Wi, currently ranked number one on the Davidoff Tour, fired a three-under-par 69 in the third round at Shanghai Silport Golf Club, seizing the outright lead with birdies on all the par fives.
A 12-under-par 204 total gave the American-based Wi a slight edge over Sushi Ishigaki of Japan, who shot a “lucky” 68 after scrambling for pars on five holes on the front nine.
Thai star Thongchai Jaidee launched his assault on the title with a bogey-free 67 to be three off the pace.
A two-foot putt for birdie on the opening par five hole got Wi off on the right foot and he made the turn at two-under, chipping it close on the ninth hole.
Wi bogeyed the next after finding the greenside bunker and missing a two-footer but he recovered on the remaining par fives on 14 and 18.
Like Ishigaki, Thongchai enjoyed a bogey-free outing as he stroked home five birdies at the fifth, seventh, ninth, 11th and 12th holes.
American Andrew Pitts, who was the overnight joint leader with Wi, slipped to fourth place after shooting a 73 in a round that included a double-bogey at eight and a disastrous triple bogey on 12.
An outrageous birdie at 17, when he holed a bunker shot from an awkward stance, salvaged his day.
Leading third round scores:
204 - Charlie Wi (Kor) 68-67-69
205 - Sushi Ishigaki (Jpn) 69-68-68
207 - Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) 70-70-67
208 - Andrew Pitts (USA) 66-69-73
209 - Anthony Kang (Kor) 71-67-71, Boonchu Ruangkit (Tha) 71-70-68, Brad Kennedy (Aus) 71-70-68
210 - Simon Yates (Sco) 71-71-68
LAKE BUENA VISTA (Florida): Rookie Japanese golfer Kaname Yokoo matched his best round of the year with a seven-under-par 65 on Friday to become the unlikely leader halfway through the $3.4 million National Car Rental Golf Classic.
But one name Yokoo will be keeping an eye on after he tees off in the final group on Saturday is Tiger Woods, who is in the hunt after a 67 moved him to eight-under 136.
Woods is playing for the first time in five weeks and will be aware that there are some big names in front of him, including Davis Love III, Vijay Singh and David Toms.
The world’s top-ranked golfer is playing for the first time since the Canadian Open and is looking for his sixth win of the season and 30th career.
The winner of the 2000 Japan Match Play Championship, Yokoo is at 13-under 131, one shot better than “bubble boy” Jerry Smith. The 29-year-old native of Tokyo has played in less than two dozen PGA Tour events.
Beginning on the back nine of the 6,967-yard Palm Course, Yokoo birdied seven of the first 10 holes. He bogeyed the par-four second hole but birdied the seventh to take sole possession of the lead.
Leading second-round scores on Friday. (U.S.unless stated): 131 Kaname Yokoo (Japan) 66 65
132 Jerry Smith 66 66
133 Davis Love III 67 66, Jose Coceres (Argentina) 68 65
134 David Peoples 69 65, Vijay Singh (Fiji) 66 68, David
Toms 66 68, Brian Wilson 66 68
135 Woody Austin 70 65, Stewart Cink 65 70, Len Mattiace
65 70, Mark McCumber 69 66, Shaun Micheel 65 70,
Danny Ellis 67 68
136 Stuart Appleby (Australia) 69 67, John Huston 70 66,
Steve Lowery 65 71, Billy Mayfair 68 68, Blaine
McCallister 67 69, Scott McCarron 65 71, Jesper
Parnevik (Sweden) 71 65, Tom Pernice, Jr. 68 68,
Bob Tway 67 69, Jay Williamson 69 67, Tiger Woods
69 67, Michael Clark 72 64
137 Tommy Armour III 70 67, Mark Brooks 68 69, Robert
Damron 71 66, Marco Dawson 72 65, Lee Janzen 70 67,
Greg Kraft 70 67, Rocco Mediate 73 64, Lee Porter
67 70, Briny Baird 68 69, Mike Weir (Canada) 66 71,
Glen Hnatiuk 70 67, John Riegger 69 68
ST ANDREWS (Scotland): The inaugural Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is almost certain to finish on Monday after fog and rain interrupted Saturday’s third round.
Just a handful of players on each course managed to begin the scheduled third round, including Ireland’s Paul McGinley who parred the first two holes at Carnoustie to retain his two-shot overnight lead at 13 under par.
Leading scores after second round Saturday (Britain unless stated): 131 Paul McGinley (Ireland) 67 64
133 Tony Johnstone (Zimbabwe) 67 66, Brian Davis 65 68
134 Jamie Donaldson 68 66, Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 67 67
135 David Howell 67 68, Anders Forsbrand (Sweden) 71 64
136 Henrik Nystrom (Sweden) 70 66
137 Greg Owen 70 67, Jarrod Moseley (Australia) 67 70
138 Peter O’Malley (Australia) 71 67, Mathias Gronberg (Sweden)
68 70, Rolf Muntz (Netherlands) 68 70, Daren Lee 68 70
139 Andrew Coltart 69 70, Sam Torrance 69 70, Scott Gardiner
(Australia) 72 67, Ignacio Garrido (Spain) 67 72, Peter
Lonard (Australia) 71 68, John Bickerton 69 70
140 Emanuele Canonica (Italy) 66 74, Adam Scott (Australia) 72
68, Robert Karlsson (Sweden) 70 70, Barry Lane 68 72, Mark
Roe 67 73, David Lynn 71 69, Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark) 68
72, Steve Webster 70 70, Carl Suneson (Spain) 71 69
At Carnoustie (par-72):
136 Omar Sandys (South Africa) 65 71, Nick Dougherty 68 68
137 Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 67 70, Brett Quigley (U.S.) 68
69, Patrik Sjoland (Sweden) 71 66, Pierre Fulke (Sweden) 71
66, Justin Rose 69 68, Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 70 67
138 Gary Evans 71 67, Jean Hugo (South Africa) 68 70
139 David Dixon 69 70
140 Doug McGuigan 68 72, Jonathan Lomas 67 73, Phillip Price 71
69, Lucas Parsons (Australia) 72 68, Miguel Angel Jimenez
(Spain) 70 70, Arjun Atwal (India) 68 72
At Kingsbarns (par-72):
135 Ernie Els (South Africa) 65 70
138 Mark Pilkington 69 69, Retief Goosen (South Africa) 69 69
139 Paul Lawrie 71 68, Darren Clarke 72 67, Paul Casey 69 70,
Colin Montgomerie 71 68, Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden) 73 66,
Brett Rumford (Australia) 72 67
140 Raphael Jacquelin (France) 72 68, Roger Winchester 74 66,
David Smail (New Zealand) 70 70—AFP/Reuters
