SYDNEY — Min Woo Lee made a dramatic birdie on the 18th gap to maintain his bid of profitable back-to-back titles on monitor regardless of a difficult day within the third spherical of the Australia Open on Saturday.
Lee produced a trademark dazzling chip from the bunker after which rolled in for birdie on the par-5 18th to maneuver again to the highest of the leaderboard at 13-under with Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino.
The 25-year-old Western Australian’s adventurous day included 4 birdies, a bogey and a double bogey for a spherical of 70 which included numerous photographs from troublesome lies in fairway tough or bunkers at The Australian course.
In distinction, Hoshino — who completed runner-up to Lee finally week’s Australian PGA Championship — was bogey-free and steadily climbed the leaderboard with 4 birdies and an eagle on the par-5 14th in a spherical of 65.
“Final week I could not make the birdie on the again 9, however this week I’ve extra birdies on the again 9 to make the profitable (doable),” Hoshino mentioned. “That is the primary time in Australia for me and I am having fun with this ambiance and in addition this event. That is why I am enjoying nicely.”
Lee and Hoshino maintain a one-shot lead over Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick (66) and American Patrick Rodgers (68), who’re in a tie for third.
Australian Lucas Herbert is fifth at 11 underneath after a 66 on the Sydney event that options males’s and girls’s fields and is being performed on a two-venue format.
Joaquin Niemann (70) of Chile is in a tie for sixth at 9-under, whereas Adam Scott made up floor with a 67 to be at 8 underneath and 5 photographs off the tempo.
Cam Smith‘s probabilities of a maiden Australian Open title look more and more slim. The 2022 Open champion is nicely again in a tie for twenty fifth at six underneath, and 7 photographs behind, after a spherical of 69.
Defending champion Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa led the ladies’s area at 12 underneath, three photographs away from two-time main winner Jiyai Shin and 7 photographs forward of Australia’s Minjee Lee, the older sister of Min Woo Lee.
Buhai birdied her first 4 holes on her strategy to a 67 as she bids to be the primary girl to defend the Australian Open titles since Taiwan’s former world No.1 and five-time main champion Yani Tseng in 2011.
Shin had a combined day with a good par 72, whereas Lee put a disappointing second spherical behind her with a 67 to surge up the leaderboard.
“I simply hit my irons just a little bit nearer and that simply gave myself a pair extra alternatives for birdies,” Lee mentioned. “So yeah, had a very nice entrance 9 and made one bogey and one birdie on the again. I am going to simply must publish a extremely low rating tomorrow, I feel, however I can do it.”
Teenage beginner Ann Jang, from Sydney, made the shot of the day with a uncommon albatross on the par-5 first gap, however nonetheless completed with a 73 and in a tie for twenty second at 4 over.
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