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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 that included quite a few pictures from tough 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 [possible],” Hoshino stated. “That is the primary time in Australia for me, and I am having fun with this environment and likewise this event. That is why I am taking part in 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 below 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 below, whereas Adam Scott made up floor with a 67 to be at 8 below and 5 pictures off the tempo.
Cam Smith‘s probabilities of a primary Australian Open title look more and more slim. The 2022 Open champion is nicely again in a tie for twenty fifth at 6 below after a spherical of 69.
Defending champion Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa led the ladies’s subject at 12 below, three pictures away from two-time main winner Jiyai Shin and 7 pictures forward of Australia’s Minjee Lee, the older sister of Min Woo Lee.
Buhai birdied her first 4 holes on her approach to a 67 as she bids to be the primary girl to defend the Australian Open title since former world No.1 and five-time main champion Yani Tseng in 2011.
Shin had a combined day with an even-par 72, whereas Lee put a disappointing second spherical behind her with a 67 to surge up the leaderboard.
“I simply hit my irons a bit of bit nearer, and that simply gave myself a pair extra alternatives for birdies,” Lee stated. “So yeah, had a very nice entrance 9 and made one bogey and one birdie on the again. I will simply must put up a extremely low rating tomorrow, I feel, however I can do it.”
Teenage newbie Ann Jang, from Sydney, made the shot of the day with a uncommon albatross on the par-5 first gap. She completed with a 73 and is in a tie for twenty second at 4 over.
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