Australia’s Min Woo Lee continues to lead the SJM Macao Open for the third consecutive day, shooting an impressive six-under-par 65 and maintaining a tournament total of 22-under. He holds a narrow two-shot lead over Thailand’s Poom Saksansin. Poom also had a stellar round, carding a 64 at the Macau Golf and Country Club. South Korea’s Jaewoong Eom trails by two shots after recording a 65, which included a remarkable eagle on the 18th hole. New Zealand’s Ben Campbell (68) and Korea’s Meenwhee Kim (69) are four strokes behind the leaders.
Min Woo Lee, playing aggressively and displaying utmost confidence, made an eagle, five birdies, and only his second bogey of the entire tournament, positioning himself for his first victory in two years and his maiden Asian Tour title. However, Poom proved to be a tough competitor, catching up to Lee on the back nine with four consecutive birdies from the seventh hole. Poom briefly took the lead but relinquished it with a bogey on the 12th hole. Lee extended his lead with a magnificent eagle on the par-five 13th and a birdie on the 15th, putting him three shots ahead. However, Poom fought back and birdied the last two holes, while Lee also birdied the 18th.
Lee will face a challenging task in maintaining his lead, as Poom, known for being a fierce competitor and defeating renowned players like Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson in previous matches, recently won the Yeangder TPC. Poom possesses a reputation for leading wire-to-wire in his Asian Tour victories, further emphasizing his strength as a frontrunner.
Lee expressed his satisfaction with his performance, acknowledging the fierce competition around him. He highlighted a crucial par-save on the par-three 11th hole, which required a difficult chip shot that he managed to hole confidently. Poom, having made nine birdies and two bogeys, recognizes the need to shoot a remarkable nine-under-par round to challenge Lee’s current form.
Meanwhile, Eom, who started to fall behind, provided a thrilling moment with a chip-in eagle from 25 yards on the 18th hole. This shot added to the excitement and kept him in contention. Eom aims to replicate his six-under-par performance in the final round.
Additionally, 47-year-old veteran golfer Jason Knutzon, the winner of the 2005 Macao Open, continued to impress with a strong performance, shooting a 66 to reach 11 under. Defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar also carded a 66, joining Knutzon and other players tied at the same score.
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