Wiesberger retains his stranglehold at the top in Shenzhen
BERND Wiesberger will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Shenzhen International after posting a third-round 69.
The 31-year-old Austrian held a four-shot lead after round two was completed earlier yesterday, having carded a seven-under-par 65 on Friday before storms brought a premature end to play for the second day running.
He saw his lead wiped out by Frenchman Gregory Bourdy, whose strong start included a hole-in-one at the par-three third.
But Wiesberger kept his cool and, after collecting five birdies — albeit alongside two bogeys — in his third round, will go into today’s final round three strokes ahead of Dylan Frittelli.
The South African registered a third successive four-under-par 68 yesterday.
England’s Ross Fisher was one of four players sharing third place on 11 under.
Fisher fired 69 in his third round and was four shots off the pace alongside American David Lipsky (67) and South African pair George Coetzee (67) and Dean Burmester (68).
Two-time former Masters champion Bubba Watson was a stroke further back after a 70 and was joined by French pair Alexander Levy (64) and Bourdy (70), and China’s Liu Yan-wei (66).
“I didn’t start off really well,” Wiesberger said.
“I hit a couple of crooked shots and left a couple of putts out there but then, from when I holed the putt on seven, I felt more comfortable and was rolling the ball a bit better.
“I was in a similar position a couple of weeks ago in Malaysia and had a sloppier day, so I’m happy with the way I bounced back and to shoot three-under-par is a decent score.
“The guys were coming at me hard early on as well so I’m expecting no less for tomorrow.
“I’m just trying to commit to my shots and enjoy it out there.”
FORMER Australian open amateur champion Connor Syme (Drumoig) will start today’s final two rounds of the Battle Trophy at Crail’s Craighead links course with a two-stroke lead after a pair of impressive four-under-par 68s for a halfway tally of eight-under 136.
His nearest challenger is a up-andcoming youngster from Banff, Callum Bruce (Duff House Royal) who has posted rounds of 68 and 70.
But for Bruce’s effort, Syme would be leading by six shots and the four players sharing third place are back on 142.
In his second round, Bruce birdied the first, third, sixth and ninth, bogeying only the fourth, in an outward 34. But the flow of birdies dried up after the turn and the Banffer covered his second nine in eight pars and a bogey at the 11th.