2006 ASEAN Tour Singha E San Open - Round 3: Boonchu holds onto lead as Prayad closes in

Golden oldie Boonchu Ruangkit of Thailand produced a grandstand finish with three closing birdies on Friday to take a slender one stroke lead into the final round of the Singha E San Open.

The defending champion shot a five-under-par 66 for a three-round total of 14-under-par 199 at Victory Park Golf and Country Club.

He is a shot ahead of in-form countryman Prayad Marksaeng, the world number 72, who started the day three behind the overnight leader but closed the gap with a blistering 64.

Angelo Que of the Philippines, bidding for his second win on the ASEAN Golf Tour, is in third spot a further stroke behind after carding a blemish-free 66.

Thai rising star Sattaya Supupramai stayed in the hunt with an accomplished 67 to secure fourth place on 202, a shot adrift of Que.

The US$50,000 Singha E San Open is the fifth leg of the fledgling ASEAN Golf Tour that was launched to create more playing opportunities for aspiring professionals from Southeast Asia and unearth new talent.

Boonchu, who shot a course record 59 on his way to lifting the title last year, got off to a flying start with two opening birdies before his putter went cold. Two birdies cancelled out by two bogeys opened the door for Prayad before the veteran reeled off three birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th.

"I did not putt that well on the front nine but found my range after the turn and holed a lot of good ones at the end," said the 51-year-old Boonchu, who is regarded as one of the best Asian players of his generation.

Boonchu competed on the US Champions Tour this year after a glittering career in Asia and is relishing the challenge of taking on the young guns.

"I am a little bit tired but I will not let that worry me," he said. "I really want to win – there are so many young boys out there playing great golf and I want to show them I can still compete."

Prayad, the recent winner of the Volvo Masters of Asia, opened with three straight birdies and added five more in a sizzling round but still found himself trailing Boonchu.

"Boonchu is putting so well that he is hard to beat," said Prayad, whose only dropped shot came at the 15th where he found water off the tee. "I have learned to read the greens over the opening rounds and I am now confident with my putting. It would be great to win back-to-back titles (after his victory in the Volvo Masters of Asia) but Boonchu is a good frontrunner."

Que broke the Thai domination of the leaderboard without producing the fireworks that characterised his second round 65.

"I am pretty happy with how I played," said the 29-year-old Que, the winner of the Laguna National ASEAN Championship in Singapore.

"I am just going to stay patient as I know the putts will drop. Winning my second title on the ASEAN Golf Tour would be a great way to finish the year."

The unheralded Tepphatud Sanawong of Thailand roared up the leaderboard to joint sixth spot with a bogey-free eight-under-par 63, the best score of the week.

"That is my best ever score in a tournament – I putted so well today," said the 24 year old, who was number one on the Thai PGA Challenge Tour this year.

Mars Pucay of the Philippines, a two-time winner on the ASEAN Golf Tour, moved up to joint 15th place with a 65.

Leading third round scores (a denotes amateur) - Par 71 (click here for full leaderboard):

199 - Boonchu Ruangkit (THA) 64-69-66
200 - Prayad Marksaeng (THA) 67-69-64
201 - Angelo Que (PHI) 70-65-66
202 - Sattaya Supupramai (THA) 70-65-67
204 - Kwanchai Tannin (THA) 66-70-68
205 - Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 66-69-70, Tepphatud Sanawong (THA) 71-71-63
207 - Nakul Vijityuthasart (THA) 70-68-69
208 – Wisut Artjanawat (THA) 74-68-66
209 - Udorn Duangdecha (THA) 68-70-71, Atthaphon Prathummanee (THA) 70-71-68, Pijit Petchkasem (THA) 71-71-67, Thanyakorn Krongpha (THA - a) 71-72-66, Varut Chomchalam (THA -a) (a) 71-72-66
210 - Kiradech Apibalrat (THA) 71-69-70, Pornsakon Tipsanit (THA) 75-68-67, Mars Pucay (PHI) 74-71-65

Selected scores
211 - Pipatpong Naewsuk (THA -a) 72-73-66
216 - Quincy Quek (SIN -a) 72-71-73

May 13, 2006