Willett leads by three with a round to go in Maybank Championship

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Danny Willett will go in search of a first European Tour title since his victory at the Masters Tournament when he takes a three-shot lead into the final round of the Maybank Championship on Sunday.
The Englishman had the most successful year of his career so far in 2016, winning twice including that triumph at Augusta National as he finished second in the Race To Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex.
That does not tell the whole story, however, and Willett admitted he struggled to find that early season form as he recorded just one top ten in his final 13 events of the season.
A sixth-placed finish at the UBS Hong Kong Open and some hard work over the Christmas break has helped to restore confidence and, after rounds of 66-67-67, he is in pole position to move back into the winner's circle at Saujana Golf and Country Club.

Willett excited to lead

Willett heads into Sunday at 16 under, three shots clear of American David Lipsky and four ahead of Frenchman Alexander Levy, the first time he has led by more than one shot after 54 holes.
"It was up and down, I’d have taken a 67 at the start of the day, it spreads the top five and top six guys out a bit more and further away," he said.
"I’m probably going to go hit a few and make a few little minor tweaks here and there and try to get the driver to where it’s been most of the week.
"I’m not sure what will win it to be honest, depends on if we pitch up and it’s flat calm. I think there’s a few guys that can go low if it’s windy like this.
"One or two under par is a good knock out there so I think it all depends on the weather tomorrow."
Lipsky made the first move with a birdie on the opening hole from five feet and when he got on the par five third in two for another gain he was just one behind overnight leader Bernd Wiesberger.

Willett made a smart up-and-down from the sand on the same hole to take a share of top spot but that did not last for long as Wiesberger holed a 12-footer on the next for his first gain of the day.
Willett then found himself plugged and with an awkward stance in a greenside bunker on the fifth and while he played a nice escape, he could not make his par putt and the lead was up to two.
Wiesberger had three-putted the third in only making par and he did it again on the par four sixth to see his advantage trimmed back to one shot.
A second consecutive bogey on the next after flying the green left the door open for Willett and the 29 year old burst through it, putting his approach to six feet and hitting the front on his own.
Lipsky dropped a shot after failing to get up and down before all three of the final group birdied the par five eighth, Wiesberger hitting the green in two and Willett and Lipsky doing well to get up and down.
Lipsky birdied the tenth to get within one of the lead but Willett produced a sensational birdie on the next, holing a lengthy left-to-righter down the slope to sit two ahead.

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LEADERBOARD
par 216 (3x72)
200 D Willett (Eng) 66 67 67
203 D Lipsky (USA) 68 67 68
204 A Levy (Fra) 69 68 67

SELECTED SCORES
205 B Weisberger (Aut) 69 63 73 (T4)
209 L Westwood (Eng) 73 66 70 (T16)
210 M Warren (Sco) 63 75 72 (T23)

MISSED THE CUT (142 and better qualified)
144 David Drysdale (Sco) 72 72
145 Richie Ramsay (Sco) 73 72

ALL THE 54-HOLE TOTALS:

200 D Willett (Eng) 66 67 67,
203 D Lipsky (USA) 68 67 68,
204 A Levy (Fra) 69 68 67,
205 K Kim (Kor) 68 68 69, G Havret (Fra) 69 70 66, B Wiesberger (Aut) 69 63 73, M Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 65 70, P Pittayarat (Tha) 70 69 66,
206 F Zanotti (Par) 70 69 67, A Lahiri (Ind) 69 68 69,
207 S Sharma (Ind) 68 68 71,
208 J Veerman (USA) 73 68 67, G Bhullar (Ind) 66 72 70, T Jaidee (Tha) 71 68 69, L Haotong (Chn) 71 69 68,
209 T Fleetwood (Eng) 72 68 69, S Kapur (Ind) 70 67 72, P Larrazábal (Esp) 72 67 70, P Khongwatmai (Tha) 65 75 69, L Westwood (Eng) 73 66 70, P Peterson (USA) 71 70 68, H Porteous (RSA) 70 72 67,
210 S Brazel (Aus) 66 71 73, R Khan (Ind) 72 68 70, M Siem (Ger) 66 71 73, R Paratore (Ita) 69 71 70, M Warren (Sco) 63 75 72, B Leong (Mas) 70 71 69,
211 J Morrison (Eng) 70 67 74, S Rahman (Ban) 69 69 73, S Lee (Kor) 67 73 71, R Rock (Eng) 71 67 73, D Rahman (am) (Mas) 73 67 71,
212 P Meesawat (Tha) 69 70 73, L Bjerregaard (Den) 69 70 73, P Swangarunporn (Tha) 70 72 70, W Ashun (Chn) 73 67 72, L Wenchong (Chn) 70 70 72, C Pigem (Esp) 72 69 71, P Uihlein (USA) 66 76 70, M Kieffer (Ger) 71 70 71, M Manassero (Ita) 71 66 75, M Korhonen (Fin) 73 69 70,
213 C Kumar (Ind) 70 72 71, C Paisley (Eng) 72 70 71, N Bertasio (Ita) 69 71 73, R Wattel (Fra) 68 70 75, F Aguilar (Chi) 72 70 71, T Sinnott (Aus) 70 70 73, R Cabrera Bello (Esp) 70 72 71, M Kawamura (Jpn) 74 68 71, L Jensen (Den) 67 73 73, A Da Silva (Bra) 72 69 72,
214 L Wei-Chih (Tpe) 69 73 72, T Chuayprakong (Tha) 69 73 72, A Dodt (Aus) 72 69 73, D Chia (Mas) 72 69 73, N Fung (Mas) 70 72 72, G Green (Mas) 68 71 75,
215 S Hend (Aus) 74 66 75, D Koh (Sin) 72 70 73, J Colomo (Esp) 72 70 73, K Horne (RSA) 73 68 74, G Stal (Fra) 72 70 73,
216 N Turner (Irl) 68 71 77, A Otaegui (Esp) 70 72 74, J Campillo (Esp) 73 69 74,
217 J Randhawa (Ind) 73 69 75,
219 A Irawan (Mas) 66 76 77, ** V Dubuisson (Fra) 70 72 retired