Japan&aposs Kaname Yokoo will head into the final round of the Indonesia PGA Championship with a one-shot lead over Australia&aposs Scott Strange and Aaron Townsend after posting a five-under 67 on Saturday. Yokoo moved to 15-under overall courtesy of a bogey-free 18 holes at the Emeralda Golf Club near Jakarta. He will be under strong pressure from a chasing bunch of six who are one stroke back – including Australian pair Scott Strange and Aaron Townsend – on 14 under. Joining them are Choi Ho-Sung, Lee Hyoung-Hoon, Yuta Ikeda and Toshinori Muto. Choi shot one of the best rounds of the day – a seven-under 65 – to catapult himself into contention. Fresh from blitzing the course with a nine-under 63 in his second round, Townsend struggled to replicate that effort in a rollercoaster third round that saw him combine six birdies with two bogeys and a double bogey on the second hole. Tied for eighth spot are Azuma Yano, Yusaku Miyazato, Yoshinori Fujimoto and Song Young-Han on 13-under par. China&aposs Liang Wen-Chong and Hideto Tanihara are equal 12th on 12 under, followed by a group of six on 11 under – just four shots from the lead. Among those tied for 14th include Gareth Paddison, who hit the day&aposs best round of eight-under 64. Eight birdies for the New Zealander saw him improve nine strokes from his second round on Friday, and he will be well in title contention come Sunday. Level with Paddison are Thaworn Wiratchant, Juvic Pagunsan, Lee Sang-Hee, Ashun Wu and Shingo Katayama. On the Asian Tour, Thailand&aposs Prayad Marksaeng holds a commanding five-shot lead at 18 under going into the final round of the Chiangmai Golf Classic, with Australian Matthew Stieger tied for second. Overnight leader Marksaeng, playing on home soil, posted a six-under-par third round of 66 at the Alpine Golf Resort to tighten his grip on the inaugural edition of the Asian Tour event. Countryman Thongchai Jaidee turned in a three-under 69 to reach 13 under, level with Stieger, who climbed three spots up the leaderboard courtesy of a four-under 68 on Saturday. The biggest name in the field, South Korean YE Yang, is one of six players in a share of fourth spot at 12 under. Yang, the 2009 PGA Championship winner, and Australian Scott Hend both shot five-under rounds of 67 on day three. South African Anton Haig and Thai Kiradech Aphibarnrat each carded a 66, while another Aussie, Marcus Both, produced the equal best round of the day, a seven-under 65. But despite those impressive efforts, the US$750,000 event remains Marksaeng&aposs to lose heading into the deciding 18 holes on Sunday.
Author: Omnisport