Guam
Open
Leo Palace Resort
Guam
14th - 17th May 1998
Third
Round Report
Third
Round Scores
Second Round Scores
Second Round Report
First Round
Report
First Round Scores
American
Smith takes the lead
Manenggon
Hills, Guam, 16th May, 1998 - America's Jerry Smith set two personal
bests today as he fired a superb six-under-par 66 and moved into a two-shot lead
after the third round of the Omega Tour's $200,000 (U.S. dollars) Guam Open at
the Leo Palace Resort.
After
touring the front half with an even par 36, Smith carded six birdies for a bogey-free
back nine 30, and heads the leaderboard on 14 under par from English-born South
African Chris Williams.
Smith's
inward nine was the lowest of his professional career, while his 14-under-par
202 aggregate also represents his lowest three-round total since joining the professional
ranks in 1987.
Williams
also set a new personal best on his way to breaking the course record with a sizzling
bogey-free 64 over the challenging 6,609-yard layout. "Competitively, today's
back nine was the lowest of my career, and nor have I been 14 under par after
three days before -- certainly not on a par 72 course," said 34-year-old
Smith from Illinois.
"I
played steady on the front nine, which for me has a few very hard holes, and then
managed to attack the course coming home. I managed to get a good speed with my
putter and felt that if I could get it within 15 feet then I'd have a good chance
of sinking the birdie putt."
Joint
leader overnight, Smith saved par with a 15-foot putt on the fourth, before dropping
his only shot of the day with a three-putt bogey at the very next hole. But he
immediately made amends, firing a wedge to within three feet for a simple birdie
at the 6th.
After
a two-on two-putt birdie on the par-5 10th, the 34-year-old American drained birdie
putts from 10 feet on the 12th, 20 feet on the 13th and 16th, and 15 feet on the
17th. A three-foot birdie at the last completed his three-birdie finish.
"With
the way the scores are going this week I won't be able to let up tomorrow,"
added Smith. "But if I can stay in good shape on the front nine then I should
be in a strong position to turn it on again on the backside."
Williams,
a six-time winner on the Southern African PGA Tour, put his new personal best
down to an inspired performance with his putter. "My putting has been unbelievable
for the past two rounds, and today the hole looked this big," said Williams,
jokingly outstretching his arms. "I've been hitting the ball well for the
past couple of months, and in the past two days I've had no bogeys and only missed
two greens."
Williams,
fourth two weeks ago in the $200,000 Macau Open, broke defending champion Gerry
Norquist's course best by two shots following an outward 33 and an inward 31.
India's
Arjun Atwal moved into third place on ten under par after carding an eagle, four
birdies and a solitary bogey for a five-under 67, while Korea's Chung Joon lies
two shots back in fourth spot after also posting 67.
Defending
champion Norquist fired a 71 and drops back into fifth place on seven under with
Japan's Taku Sugaya, who returned a third-round 67.
