Thomas and Steele set for shootout
KUALA LUMPUR — American Justin Thomas produced a tidy up-and-down from the back of the 18th green for birdie to ensure he went in to Sunday’s final round of the CIMB Classic tied for the lead with compatriot Brendan Steele.
Overnight leader Thomas, who flirted with a rare 59 before signing for an 11-under-par second round of 61, was again among the birdies on another day of low scores at the Kuala Lumpur Country Club, where preferred lies have been in use.
The 22-year-old seemed to lose momentum with bogey fives at the 12 and 16th but finished with two birdies in his third round of five-under-par 67 to sit on 20-under for the $7 million co-sanctioned Asian Tour event, the third of the new PGA Tour season.
“Those two birdies were huge,” the world number 64 said of his strong finish.
Thomas is looking for his first win on the American circuit, while Steele has won just once, at the 2011 Texas Open, and blew a great opportunity two weeks ago when he shot a closing 76 after holding the third round lead at the Frys.com Open.
South Korean-born American Kevin Na has good memories of Malaysia after winning his first Asian Tour event in the country in 2002 and the 32-year-old put himself in position to notch another after a blistering 64 on Saturday.
That nine birdie effort left Na, who has finished second or tied in the opening two events of the campaign, one back of Thomas and Steele on 19-under.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama fired a 68 Saturday to sit tied fourth on 17-under alongside American trio James Hahn (64), Brian Harman (66) and Spencer Levin (68), with former world No. 1 Adam Scott (66) a further shot back on 16-under.
Kim and Kung lead Blue Bay
South Korea’s Kim Sei-young and Candie Kung of Taiwan emerged at the top of leaderboard after a brutal third day of scoring at the Blue Bay LPGA in China where only four players shot sub-par rounds.
Overnight leader Kim produced a two-over-par round of 74 to sign for a 216 level-par total, matched by Kung who bogeyed her last two holes to sign for a 73 at the $2 million event in Hainan Island.
The blustering conditions and heavily undulating greens at the lengthy Jian Lake Blue Bay Course have proved a stern test for the LPGA’s finest taking part in the penultimate leg of the five-tournament Asian swing.
Kim, chasing rookie of the year honours, has shown her best in the wind this year with two titles in Bahamas and Hawaii earlier in the season but said Blue Bay had been a step up after she mixed three birdies with five bogeys in Saturday’s round.
American Stacy Lewis was a shot back on one-over after a third round 73 and the world number three was expecting another tough outing Sunday. — Agencies
