SCOT SIMON EQUALS
COURSE RECORD TO
JOINT THIRD IN
BMW ASIAN OPEN


Thailand-based Scot Simon Yates equalled the course record of 64 to be in joint third place on nine-under-par 206 going into Sunday's final round in the BMW Asian Open.
Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin stayed firmly in the pole position. Bidding for a second career title, he battled to a two-under-par 70 at the Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club today for a three-day total of 11-under-par 205. He held off a spirited Scott Hend of Australia, who stayed in the title hunt with a fine 67 for 206.
Yates, pictured right, is tied for third place with Sweden's Joakim Backstrom and Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark. Fellow Scot Colin Montgomerie is in joint sixth place on 208 after a 69 and is perfectly placed for a last-round charge at the leader.
The only other Scot to survive the halfway cut, Stephen Gallacher, had a 74 for 219.
South African star Ernie Els fired his week's best of 68 to give himself a shot at winning a second BMW Asian Open title and is five behind Jacquelin on 210.
"I am feeling pretty good. It was a bit more difficult today as I didn’t putt very well," said Jacquelin, who has led the tournament since the opening round. "I try every week and will do my best. We never know. The game is very difficult and I will try my best on every shot. If win I will be very happy, if not I will try again next week."
With forecast of severe weather conditions for Sunday, organisers announced the final round will begin at 6.40am, with the leaders teeing off at 8.30am. Jacquelin is well prepared for a wet and wild last day romp, especially when he failed to cross the finish line first at Shanghai Silport last week after seizing the halfway lead.
"I am excited every time I am on the leaderboard and especially in the last group. I am pretty calm usually and that is the way I play. And I'll try and have a bit of fun, even if it is raining."
Big-hitting Hend, currently fourth on the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit after two runner-up finishes this season, continues his rehabilitation from a serious hand injury by staying within sight of Jacquelin's rear mirror.
Hend fired seven birdies against two dropped shots and made a huge par save from 15 feet at the last hole to keep the lead down to one. "It felt like 100 feet!," said Scott of the last putt. "It was probably 15 feet or something like that. It felt a long way."
After spending two years on the US PGA Tour from 2004 to 2005, Hend lost his card in America and then tore muscles on his left hand last year which set his career back. But after earning his card on the Asian Tour through Qualifying School, Hend has grown in strength and feels a win is just around the corner.
Yates, who has finished third on the Order of Merit on two occasions in Asia, charged into contention with a fast start of three opening birdies before hitting another purple patch with birdies on the seventh, eighth and ninth to turn in 30. With three more birdies on the back nine, the Scot was poised for a new course record but dropped a shot on the 18th hole after finding the fairway trap.
The Thai-based Scot was delighted to be in the hunt in the BMW Asian Open, especially after opening with a 74 on Thursday , but he wasn't sure if winning on Sunday would give him the same thrill as winning a car race, which he is passionate about these days.
"Three under after three holes, you feel pretty good. I played nicely, hit a lot of greens and didn't make any mistakes and putted really well. It was a shame at the last. Otherwise, it was a nice round of golf," said Yates, who matched Thailand's Somkiat Srisanga's course mark.
Winning a BMW-sponsored event would certainly match Yates' recent passion for car racing where he has won once in Thailand. "It's quite weird because the first win I had racing in a car was the best feeling I've ever had from winning anything. Golf has never given me that feeling," said Yates, a two-time Asian Tour winner.
Ryder Cup player Paul Casey withdrew after returning a third-round 77 for four-over-par 220.

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)


205 Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 66-69-70.
206 Scott Hend (Aus) 69-70-67.
207 Simon Yates (Sco) 74-69-64, Joakim Backstrom (Swe) 70-69-68, Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 67-72-68
208 Soren Hansen (Den) 71-70-67, Markus Brier (Aut) 71-69-68, Colin Montgomerie (Sco) 69-70-69
209 Andrew McLardy (SAf) 72-70-67, Lee Sung (Kor) 68-70-71
210 Ernie Els (SAf) 71-71-68, Christian Cevaer (Fra) 71-70-69, Simon Dyson (Eng) 70-70-70
211 Andres Romero (Arg) 75-70-66, Adam Blyth (Aus) 71-73-67, Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 72-69-70, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 70-69-72
212 Gary Murphy (Ire) 74-72-66, David Bransdon (Aus) 76-68-68, Graeme Mcdowell (NIr) 73-70-69, Damien McGrane (Ire) 70-73-69, Tony Carolan (Aus) 69-74-69, Keith Horne (SAf) 73-69-70
213 Peter O'Malley (Aus) 73-72-68, Kane Webber (Aus) 71-73-69, Richard Sterne (SAf) 70-74-69, Mark Pilkington (Wal) 71-72-70, Kyron Sullivan (Wal) 75-66-72, Scott Barr (Aus) 71-70-72

In remaining scores, players are from GB&I unless stated:

214 Retief Goosen (SAf) 71 74 69, Matthew Millar (Aus) 73 70 71, Simon Wakefield 72 70 72, Peter Hanson (Swe) 69 71.
215 Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 72 74 69, Robert-Jan Derksen (Net) 74 72 69, Jason Knutzon (USA) 75 70 70, Adam Le Vesconte 72 71 72, Garry Houston 71 72 72, Gregory Havret (Fra) 68 75 72, David Griffiths 73 69 73.
216 Frankie Minoza (Phi) 75 71 70, Shaun P Webster 72 74 70, James Kingston (SAf) 74 71 71, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra) 71 74 71, Keng-chi Lin (Tpe) 73 71 72, Marcel Siem (Ger) 72 69 75
217 Edward Michaels (US) 74 72 71, Yasin Ali 74 72 71, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg) 72 73 72, Wen-hong Lin (Chn) 69 76 72, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 71 73 73, Gavin Flint (Aus) 68 73 76
218 Jun-won Park (Kor) 69 77 72, Peter Lawrie 75 71 72, Gaurev Ghei (Ind) 75 70 73, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 72 73 73, Jarmo Sandelin (Swe) 73 70 75
219 Wen-tang Lin (Tpe) 73 73 73, Edward Loar (US) 70 75 74, Marcus Both (Aus) 71 74 74, Stephen Gallacher 72 73 74, Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 72 73 74, Chris Rodgers 73 71 75, Juvic Pagunsan (Phi) 73 71 75, Sven Struver (Ger) 72 72 75, Brett Rumford (Aus) 75 69 75
220 Simon Hurd 74 72 74
222 Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 73 72 77
224 Lian-wei Zhang (Chn) 73 73 78.
Withdrawn: Paul Casey 72 71 77.

Visit www.asiantour.com for live scoring from Sunday's final round.

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