YOKOO GOES CLEAR IN JAKARTA PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Japan's Kaname Yokoo birdied the last for a five-under-par 67 on Saturday to burst away from a crowded leaderboard after three rounds of the Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship.

The 40-year-old Yokoo, who has won five times on the Japan Tour, is 15 under for the tournament -- a stroke ahead of six others around the rolling 7,198-metre (6,581-yard) Arnold Palmer-designed Emeralda Golf Club course. 

The tournament is sanctioned by both OneAsia and the Japan Golf Tour Organisation, bringing together one of the most powerful Asia-Pacific fields ever assembled. Earnings count towards both money lists, and a win at Emeralda gives the champion status on both tours.

Yokoo, who plays without a glove despite the sweltering conditions, has been something of a golfing globetrotter in his 18-year career, having also spent time on the U.S. PGA Tour where his best finish was joint second at the 2002 Phoenix Open. 

He also enjoyed a brief spell in the limelight in 2005 when he lost a playoff at the Dunlop Phoenix Open on the Japan Tour to Tiger Woods.

Still, he remains modest about his chances in the final round on Sunday.

"I have no pressure and I'm not nervous because I don't think I will be able to win this tournament," he said. 

"My shots are sometimes good and sometimes bad. Tomorrow I'll just try to keep up as my target was actually top 20."

Yokoo knows he will have to be at his best on Sunday to stay ahead of a leaderboard as jammed as Jakarta's notorious traffic, although a holiday weekend and clear blue skies have made it a breeze for spectators.

Leading the challenge will be 10-time Japan Tour winner Yuta Ikeda (67) and countryman Toshinori Muto (70) who has won five times in the Land of the Rising Sun. They share second place with Australians Scott Strange (67) and Aaron Townsend (70) and the Korean duo of Choi Ho-sung (65) and Lee Kyoung-hoon (66). 

Overnight leader Song Young-han (72) is one of four players on 13 under, while defending champion Andre Stolz (74) is seven shots off the space in the middle of the field.

Strange in particular, winner of OneAsia's first Order of Merit in 2009, has hit a rich vein of form and finished runner up in his last two tournaments -- including the season-opening Thailand Open a fortnight ago. 

"Thailand was Thailand, I felt I should have won that," said the Perth native, whose last win on OneAsia was the Volvo China Open in 2009.

"I have not played as well this week, but I am in with a chance so that is a positive." 

The dapper Choi, winless since 2011, is also keen to get his hands on the U.S. $180,000 winner's cheque -- the biggest prize in Asian golf this week.

"It wasn't quite as hot today so that suited my game," he said. "If it stays the same tomorrow, I am really hoping for a good round. I am very anxious to do well."

A host of star players are still in the hunt including Asian Tour reigning Order of Merit champion Thaworn Wiratchant,  whose decision to skip a tournament in his native Thailand this week and play on OneAsia was rewarded with a third-round 66 for an 11 under par total and share of 14th place.

China's Liang Wenchong, winner of the Order of Merit on both Asian circuits and a four-time OneAsia champion is 12 under after shooting 69 on Saturday.  Countryman Wu Ashun, the first player from the mainland to win on the Japan Tour, is a stroke behind.

Other notables include England's Simon Dyson, nine under after shooting 68, and India's Jeev Milkha Singh (70) three shots further behind.

THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72) Yardage 7,198

201 Kaname YOKOO (JPN) 68-66-67.

202 CHOI Ho-sung (KOR) 67-70-65, LEE Kyoung-hoon (KOR) 65-71-66, Yuta IKEDA (JPN) 67-68-67, Scott STRANGE (AUS) 68-67-67, Aaron TOWNSEND (AUS) 69-63-70, Toshinori MUTO (JPN) 67-65-70.

203 Azuma YANO (JPN) 67-69-67, Yusaku MIYAZATO (JPN) 68-66-69, Yoshinori FUJIMOTO (JPN) 66-66-71, SONG Young-han (KOR) 65-66-72.

204 LIANG Wen-chong (CHN) 66-69-69, Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) 66-68-70.

205 Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 71-68-66, WU Ashun (CHN) 70-68-67, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 69-71-65, LEE Sang-hee (KOR) 70-70-65, Gareth PADDISON (NZL) 68-73-64, Shingo KATAYAMA (JPN) 65-69-71.

206 JOO Heung-chol (KOR) 72-67-67, Yosuke ASAJI (JPN) 71-68-67, Richard T LEE (CAN) 65-71-70, Stephen DARTNALL (AUS) 69-72-65.

207 YANG Ji-ho (KOR) 70-69-68, Simon DYSON (ENG) 69-70-68, LI Xin-yang (CHN) 71-67-69, KIM Kyung-tae (KOR) 68-70-69, LEE Han (USA) 70-68-69, Jason NORRIS (AUS) 70-66-71, Katsumasa MIYAMOTO (JPN) 65-70-72.

208 Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS) 69-70-69, Michael HENDRY (NZL) 69-70-69, David OH (USA) 69-70-69, Nick CULLEN (AUS) 68-70-70, Kazuhiro YAMASHITA (JPN) 65-72-71, Ted OH (KOR) 69-68-71, KIM Dae-sub (KOR) 71-69-68, Andre STOLZ (AUS) 67-67-74.

209 LEE Tae-hee (KOR) 69-70-70, Kurt BARNES (AUS) 71-67-71, Kunihiro KAMII (JPN) 69-71-69, Koichiro KAWANO (JPN) 69-71-69, KIM Hyung-sung (KOR) 70-67-72, Mark BROWN (NZL) 69-72-68, PARK Sang-hyun (KOR) 67-69-73, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 70-71-68.

210 PARK Jun-won (KOR) 69-70-71, Yosuke TSUKADA (JPN) 69-70-71, HUR In-hoi (KOR) 68-70-72, Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND) 70-70-70, Jay CHOI (USA) 69-68-73, LI Hao-tong (CHN) 71-70-69, Andik MAULUDIN (INA) 70-71-69.

211 S K HO (KOR) 70-71-70, RYU Hyun-woo (KOR) 76-65-70, Stephen LEANEY (AUS) 70-71-70, KIM Do-hoon 753 (KOR) 73-68-70, David McKENZIE (AUS) 69-72-70.

212 Lucas LEE (BRA) 70-69-73, Masamichi UEHIRA (JPN) 69-72-71.

213 LEE Jung-hwan (KOR) 69-71-73, Tadahiro TAKAYAMA (JPN) 67-73-73, JANG Dong-kyu (KOR) 68-73-72.

214 Paul SHEEHAN (AUS) 71-69-74.

215 Akinori TANI (JPN) 66-73-76, Matthew MILLAR (AUS) 67-74-74.

216 PARK Eun-shin (KOR) 68-71-77, Naomi OHTA (JPN) 69-72-75.

217 Kim FELTON (AUS) 72-69-76.