McGreevy stays in front, leads by one in Nantong

Max McGreevy admitted following his third round that his ball-striking wasn't as good as it had been the previous two days.

It was hard to tell by looking at his score Saturday as the American fired his third consecutive round in the 60s this time a 3under 69 to take a one-shot lead over Kevin Techakanokboon into the final round of the Nantong Championship. England's Stephen Lewton is alone in third, two behind McGreevy.

In all, seven additional players are within four strokes of McGreevy's lead.

On a cool, rainy day, McGreevy didn't get off to a strong start, bogeying his first hole before the rain even began. He played his opening nine under the threat of a storm but never got wet. When the sky finally opened and the rain did begin to fall, McGreevy, No 5 on the Order of Merit, had just eagled the par-5 ninth hole. Even with two bogeys on his opening nine, McGreevy made the turn in 2-under. He birdied No 10 and No 12, with a bogey squeezed in between. The University of Oklahoma graduate then parred out to card the 69, taking the clubhouse lead for the second consecutive day. "It's always a struggle trying to keep everything dry.

It was definitely challenging," said McGreevy of the weather after his round. "I was glad I was able to put another good round out there."

Techakanokboon moved into contention with a 7-under 65, a day after shooting a 73. It's been an up-and-down week for the American of Thai descent, as Techakanokboon fired a 66 to start the tournament. Techakanokboon says his strategy is to take advantage of Nantong Yangtze River Golf Club's four par-5s, something he did Saturday, with birdies at No 4, No 10 and No 12. He made a par-5 at No 9.

"I'm just trying to take down the par-5s, be smart but when I have a wedge in hand be a little more aggressive," Techakanokboon said.

Did you know that Max McGreevy comes from good golf bloodlines, with his father, Brian, a former collegiate golfer at the University of Kansas and his uncle Tom McGreevy a golfer at Arizona State? Tom played on Sun Devil teams in the early 1970s that featured future PGA TOUR stars Bob Gilder and Howard Twitty.

Kevin Techakanokboon had a difficult finish to his second round, but he didn't let it slow him down. After making a bogey at No 16 and a double bogey at 17 Friday, followed by a closing par, the California resident started his third round par-eagle-parbirdie and never let up. He finished with five birdies and the eagle to shoot a 65.