Westwood sits 3 shots off Maybank lead

KUALA LUMPUR: England's Lee Westwood turned in a 70 on the penultimate round of the Maybank Championship in Malaysia on Saturday to trail joint leaders Jorge Campillo and Dylan Frittelli by three shots.

The 44-year-old Westwood won the Malaysian Open here at Saujana Golf and Country Club 21 years ago.

And he shot a 62 on Friday for the lowest score yet.

Spaniard Campillo and South Africa's Frittelli both dropped in a 66 for the single-stroke advantage.

The Maybank Championship remains up for grabs with the top 18 golfers separated by only three shots with the final round on Sunday.

World number 47 Frittelli, who bagged two European Tour titles in 2017, is eyeing the championship.

"It is super bunched. A lot of Japanese guys are up there, a few other Spanish guys, Jorge played great today with me and I'm not sure if we will be drawn together tomorrow but I'm excited to mix it up," said Frittelli, who shot six birdies.

Campillo, who was one of the six golfers to fire an eagle on the par-5 first hole, said it set the tone for a good round.

"I hit a perfect driver and a nice six iron to about four or five metres and made that one. Always nice to start with an eagle," said the world number 186.

"I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. It is a nice position to be and I'm excited."

Trailing the leaders tied-third are American Berry Henson and India's Joshi Khalin, who ended the day 14under-par 202.

Italian Nino Bertasio and Thailand's Phachara Khongwatmai, who shared the lead on Friday, were two shots off the leaderboard, accompanied by Prayad Marksaeng, Hideto Tanihara, Ryo Ishikawa and Marc Warren.

Ryan Fox hit the best shot of the day when he sank in an albatross on the first.

The Kiwi lies in the same bracket as Westwood at 12-under-par 204, along with Japan's Yusaku Miyazato, India's Shiv Kapur, French duo Michael Lorenzo-Vera and Benjamin Hebert, American Paul Peterson and Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal.

Only 72 golfers will compete on Sunday after another eight were cut on Saturday, including Northern Irishman Darren Clarke.

Leading scores after the third round of the Maybank Championship Malaysia (par 72):

201 - Jorge Campillo (ESP) 69-66-66, Dylan Frittelli (RSA) 69-66-66

202 - Berry Henson (USA) 69-68-65, Khalin Joshi (IND) 67-70-65

203 - Prayad Marksaeng (THA) 71-6567, Hideto Tanihara (JPN) 71-64-68, Ryo Ishikawa (JPN) 74-66-63, Marc Warren (SCO) 68-66-69, Nino Bertasio (ITA) 6865-70, Phachara Khongwatmai (THA) 68-65-70

204 - Yusaku Miyazato (JPN) 71-6766, Shiv Kapur (IND) 70-67-67, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (FRA) 66-71-67, Paul Peterson (USA) 69-70-65, Benjamin Hebert (FRA) 69-70-65, Ryan Fox (NZL) 68-68-68, Pablo Larrazabal (ESP) 7070-64, Lee Westwood (ENG) 72-62-70 - AFP