CANADIAN LEADS ASIAN TOUR
EVENT AT SINGAPORE
Canadian veteran Rick Gibson produced a storming finish with two birdies to snatch the third-round lead at the inaugural Motorola International Bintan at Singapore today.
Gibson, 45, battled to a three-under-par 69 on a sun-kissed Ria Bintan Golf Club to top the leaderboard on 10-under-par 206, one shot clear of Korea's Mo Joong-kyung (66) and overnight leader Adam Blyth (72) of Australia in the US$350,000 Asian Tour event.
Chinese Taipei's Lu Wen-teh rewrote the course record with a blistering 64 to charge into a share of fourth place with former Australian Open winner Peter Fowler, compatriot Unho Park, American duo Jason Knutzon and Clay Devers and Korea's Park Jun-won.
Gibson, a multiple winner in Canada and Asia, surged ahead of a crowded leaderboard with a glorious finish with birdies on the 17th and 18th holes.
He conceded being lucky on the penultimate hole after landing in a divot on the fairway. "There's not a whole lot of bail-out on that hole as there's the ocean on the left and back of the green. I actually pulled my eight-iron to end up four feet of the pin, I'll be honest about that!" said Gibson, chasing his first win since the 2002 Philippine Open.
The Manila-based Gibson signed off in style, nailing an exquisite seven-iron to three feet at the par-3 ee hole at the last with its green nestled on the rocky beachfront. The Canadian took last week off to rectify flaws in his game with a swing coach and hopes it will lead him to glory. But Gibson warned that the 18th will be make-or-break on Sunday.

THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3 x 72)

206 Rick Gibson (Can) 68-69-69
207 Mo Joong-kyung (KOR) 70-71-66, Adam Blyth (AUS) 70-65-72
208 Jason Knutzon (US) 69-71-68, Park Jun-won (Kor) 68-71-69, Unho Park (Aus) 71-68-69, Clay Devers (US) 68-70-70, Mark Brown (NZ) 66-71-71, Lu Wen-Teh (Tpe) 71-73-64, Peter Fowler (AUS) 68-69-71
209 Airil Rizman Zahari (Mas) 69-69-71, Scott Strange (AUS) 69-67-73
210 Lin Keng-Chi (Tpe) 68-72-70, Scott Barr (AUS) 71-69-70, Yasin Ali (Eng) 69-71-70, Panuwat Muenlek (Tha) 69-69-72, Brad Kennedy (AUS) 70-68-72, Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 70-67-73, Mike Cunning (US) 66-69-75
211 Masaya Tomida (Jap) 70-72-69, Steven Jeffress (AUS) 71-72-68, Artemio Murakami (Phi) 72-68-71, Adam Groom (Aus) 70-70-71, Tatsuhiko Takahashi (Jap) 70-69-72, Angelo Que (Phi) 69-69-73, Gareth Paddison (NZ) 70-68-73, Lin Wen-tang (Tpe) 70-68-73, Ted Oh (Kor) 67-69-75
212 Chapchai Nirat (Tha) 69-72-71, Taichiro Kiyota (Jap) 70-71-71, Corey Harris (US) 72-67-73, David Gleeson (Aus) 71-68-73, Lucas Parsons (Aus) 71-67-74