2007 Fortis International Challenge - Round 3: Thailand and Holland lead chase for World Cup spots

Thai stars Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng were joined atop the leaderboard by a pair of flying Dutchmen at the Fortis International Challenge on Saturday.

Overnight leaders Thailand carded a bogey-free 63 in the third round’s fourballs at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club, thanks to a sparkling performance from Prayad who sank eight birdies.

Holland’s Maarten Lafeber and Robert-Jan Derksen produced a stunning 61, highlighted by an opening eagle by Lafeber, to tie for the lead on 22-under-par 194 in the qualifier for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China in November.

Myanmar’s Soe Kyaw Naing and Zaw Moe matched the day’s best of 61, which included six birdies on the trot, for joint third place with Filipino duo Tony Lascuna and Gerald Rosales, who shot a 64 to lie three off the lead. With the top-five finishers earning tickets to the World Cup, Korea’s Lee Sung and Lee Seung-ho presently occupy fifth place on 198 after a battling 66.

“Prayad played so well today. I just needed to follow him. He was very good, very confident,” enthused Thongchai. “He didn’t miss a single fairway and to shoot eight birdies was fantastic. I think our goal now is to win the Fortis International Challenge for our country.”

The smooth-swinging Prayad, who jointly holds the course record of 63, said he simply felt good on the golf course despite wielding a cold putter. “I just hit a lot of shots close to the pins. Everything worked so nicely.”

The Dutch pair, both winners on the European Tour, enhanced their prospects of a fourth World Cup appearance together with another solid display. Lafeber rolled in a 20-foot eagle putt on the first hole to get the team going and despite the only blemish with a bogey on the fourth, they kept their foot firmly on the pedal.

“We had a good start with an eagle and a birdie on the second. After that, Robert made a couple of good birdies on five and six and we hit a couple of shots stone dead at the hole and I made a few putts too. We put it in play and gave ourselves chances which is what we need to do,” said Lafeber.

Derksen said: “On every green, we had two chances (for birdies). The greens are quite difficult but today was the first day we putted better as we had the pace of the greens. We made better putts and got it going.”

Zaw and Soe put the troubles at home behind them with a dazzling 11-birdie round which saw the former knock in seven birdies. With one hand on a ticket to China, Zaw, who is searching for a maiden appearance in the World Cup, knows their fate lies in their own hands.

“One more day to go but we’re comfortable playing the foursomes (Sunday’s format). We’ll try to play it safe,” said Zaw, who has been dogged by injuries and medical problems over the last two years.

“Soe is always steady and I told him to put his ball on the fairways and greens and I’ll go for it. I’ve always played well on this course so I’m happy here.”

A World Cup debut also awaits Rosales and Lascuna after they posted a bogey-free 64. “We started pretty good. We were three under after five and from six to 10, we didn’t make any birdies … we stopped for a while but we played pretty good after that so we are happy. We just have to stick to the same game plan tomorrow which is to hit fairways and greens and hopefully make some putts,” said Rosales.

The Koreans were kicking themselves after missing two makeable birdie putts on the par five 18th hole which would have given them a handy two-shot cushion over sixth-placed New Zealand, represented by Stephen Scahill and Richard Lee.

“We didn’t putt good at all, didn’t play well,” said the 21-year-old Seung-ho. “We’ve got to play better in tomorrow’s foursomes but I feel we have a chance as Lee Sung is a great iron player and I’m driving it nicely this week.”

It will be an uphill battle for Singapore’s Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing, as well as Malaysian duo Iain Steel and Airil Rizman as they will enter Sunday’s final round trailing Korea by four and five shots respectively.

Singapore, winners of the qualifier in the last two years, brilliantly turned in 29 but the birdies dried up on the back nine and both players dropped a costly bogey on the 18th hole with Mardan fluffing an easy chip and Lam finding the greenside trap.

Lam said: “It was very disappointing. We got off to a really good start and thought that we were going to do something really good but it didn’t happen. We missed a couple of putts and didn’t really get it going on the back nine. We have to do something special for sure tomorrow.”

Like their neighbours, it was a similar tale for Malaysia, who enjoyed a solid front nine 31 but failed to fire on homeward journey. “As a team, we didn’t play well. It seems like we had opportunities but we didn’t take advantage of it. Even pars were of a struggle today. I don’t know why. We can’t put a finger to it. We both three putted the 15th for bogeys, it was just a struggle,” said Steel.

Third round scores

194 – Holland (Robert-Jan Derksen, Maarten Lafeber) 64-69-61
194 – Thailand (Thongchai Jaidee, Prayad Marksaeng) 61-70-63
197 – Myanmar (Zaw Moe, Soe Kyaw Naing) 68-68-61
197 – Philippines (Tony Lascuna, Gerald Rosales) 65-68-64
198 - Korea,(Lee Seung-ho, Lee Sung) 65-67-66
199 - New Zealand (Richard Lee, Stephen Scahill) 66-67-66
202 – Singapore (Lam Chih Bing, Mardan Mamat) 66-72-64
203 – Malaysia (Airil Rizman, Iain Steel) 61-75-67
204 - Chinese Taipei (Lin Wen-tang, Lin Wen-hong) 65-70-69
206 – Switzerland (Martin Rominger, Robert Wiederkehr) 67-74-65
208 - Hong Kong (James Stewart, Wong Woon Man) 66-74-68
210 – Slovenia (Janez Grilc, Andrej Kraljic) 68-76-66
211 – Pakistan (Matloob Ahmed, Muhammad Munir) 66-76-69
217 – Ghana (Emos Korblah, Victor Brave Mensah) 70-77-70
217 – Mauritius (Billy Narraina, Vishnoo Seeneevassen) 69-79-69
222 – Uganda (Deo Akope, Godfrey Mande) 71-80-71
224 – Russia Igor Korchak, Victor Ostankov) 68-82-74

Note: Fourballs used in first and third rounds, Foursomes in second and final rounds

September 29, 2007