Chinese
Taipei veteran Lu Wen-teh emerged as the third round pacesetter
at the Bangkok Airways Open on Saturday after leading Thai duo Thammanoon
Srirot and Chawalit Plaphol suffered nightmarish outings.
The 42-year-old Lu, enjoying some of the best form of his life in
recent times, carded a solid four-under-par 67 at the challenging
Santiburi Samui Country Club and will take a one-shot lead into
the final round over Thammanoon, who endured a topsy-turvy 74.
Overnight leader Thammanoon struggled to hit form after a rain delay
of nearly two hours, mixing five birdies, five bogeys and two double
bogeys on the card following a poor driving day.
His cousin, Chawalit, who was one off the pace at the halfway stage,
was a beaten man as the Santiburi Samui course, which players labelled
as a "beast" chewed him up. After previous rounds of 65
and 68, he stumbled to a 79 that included a triple bogey, and fell
seven off the pace in the US$200,000 Asian Tour event.
Frankie Minoza of the Philippines battled to an even par 71 for
third place on 209, four back, but aptly warned that Sunday's final
day showdown could yet prove to be as unpredictable as today's proceedings.
"Four shots is nothing on this course. You cannot get angry
out there or else the course will bite you. We saw that today,"
said the Filipino.
Lu, who has posted four top-10s and a tied 11th in his last six
Asian Tour events, was calm and collected in taming the undulating
Santiburi course, shooting five birdies against lone bogey. "I
just kept it the ball in play and missed only one fairway out there.
This course is not long so that is why I'm doing alright this week,"
said Lu, who has a three-day total of eight-under-par 205.
The ever-smiling Lu has not won a Tour event since 1998 and was
also the Thai Open champion back in 1990. But with strong performances
of late, Lu is thinking of glory again. "I seemed to have found
some form this year. I've been striking the ball well and have kept
myself patient on the course," said Lu, who is presently 14th
on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
"I was surprised to see the leaders drop so many shots. I'll
just aim to do the same in the final round, shoot for fairways and
greens."
Thammanoon and Chawalit, playing in the last group with Minoza,
would want to forget their disappointing rounds quickly. Thammanoon
hit only five fairways, a statistic that does not bode well on the
undulating Santiburi course on this holiday isle.
A one hour and 45 minutes rain delay knocked the Thai off his stride.
"My tee shots were going left and right and I hit only five
fairways, which is not good over here. The weather disruption affected
me," said Thammanoon.
Thammanoon, a five-time Asian Tour winner, dropped a double bogey
on 17 after blocking his drive into a hazard but put recovered,
thanks to a glorious eight iron approach from thick rough at the
par four last hole, which plays dramatically downhill. "It
went straight for the pin. One shot behind Lu is okay," he
said. "I used the three wood on 17 in the first two rounds,
I'm not sure why I hit a driver today. It was a mistake."
Chawalit, the first round leader and second overnight, played steadily
with a birdie on the fourth hole but hooked his drive on the par
five ninth hole for the second time this week for a bogey, missing
a five-foot par save. He birdied the 11th to tie for the lead briefly
before his game went dramatically off the rails.
A calamitous triple bogey six on the 12th hole, a dropped shot on
13, a double bogey on the par five15th and another bogey at the
next hole saw him tumble down the leaderboard with a 79. He will
enter the last round in tied seventh place on 212, seven shots off
the lead.
Minoza, a proven winner with six titles in Japan, was rock solid
with birdies on the ninth and 12th holes offsetting bogeys on the
third and 10th holes. He made big par saves on 17 and 18, draining
an eight footer and chipping close at the last. "I'm hitting
the ball good but you have to be patient on this course. The two
par saves late in the round kept me in it, I'm hanging in there,"
said the Filipino.
Sweden's Olle Nordberg and Thai duo Prom Meesawat and Prayad Marksaeng
share fourth place on 211, six behind the leader while a further
stroke behind are Thailand's Chawalit, Thongchai Jaidee and current
Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Thaworn Wiratchant and Chinese
Taipei's Chen Yuan-chi.
Chinese
Taipei veteran Lu Wen-teh emerged as the third round pacesetter
at the Bangkok Airways Open on Saturday after leading Thai duo Thammanoon
Srirot and Chawalit Plaphol suffered nightmarish outings.
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