Patrick Reed stated earlier this week that he had come to win the Asian Tour’s Hong Kong Open, and never deal with it as a warm-up, and he spectacularly backed that declare up by capturing an 11-under-par 59 to take the third-round lead.
5 birdies in a row began it and 4 on the trot completed it because the American, who performs on the LIV Golf circuit, leapt into the lead on 18-under.
Indian Rashid Khan and Nitithorn Thippong from Thailand share second place, three behind the chief. Khan shot a 63 and Nitithorn a 66.
Defending champion Ben Campbell from New Zealand, the chief at the beginning of the day, is one shot again following a 68.
It’s only the second 59 recorded on the Asian Tour – the caveat being that most well-liked lies had been performed so it doesn’t stand formally.
The one different 59 was registered again in Might when American John Catlin recorded the magic quantity on the Worldwide Sequence Macau. Remarkably, Reed performed with Catlin on that day, and it was additionally within the third spherical.
Reed sealed the take care of a assured 15-foot birdie putt on the par-four 18th at Hong Kong Golf Membership.
“It was of 1 these days,” stated Reed, who’s trying to win for the primary time in 4 years and declare his maiden Asian Tour title. “I received up, I felt a bit tight, and had in all probability one of many worst warm-ups ever.
“I checked out my caddy, and he goes, hey, a warm-up is a warm-up, let’s exit and simply play golf. He goes, a few of your finest rounds have come from a poor warm-up.”
Reed additionally made birdies on seven and 13 and was bogey free. He has solely dropped two pictures in three rounds.
Added the 2018 Masters champion: “I stepped up on that first tee and hit a fantastic drive, after which from that time on, simply high quality iron pictures, leaving myself plenty of actually beauty, and was capable of make plenty of putts.”
Reed has been an everyday customer to Hong Kong over the previous 10 years and got here near profitable in 2015 when he tied for third behind winner Justin Rose
Khan, who made 5 birdies on the again 9, two on the entrance and was additionally bogey free, is in a battle to maintain his Asian Tour card, in ninetieth place on the Order of Benefit. He wants a giant end tomorrow to take the strain off.
Australian Wade Ormsby, winner of this occasion in 2017 and 2020, has an opportunity of including a 3rd title after carding a 64 to sit down six off prime spot with one spherical to go.
For all of the scores from the Hyperlink Hong Kong Open, click on right here.
