Second-placed Knox says he won't give up
WGC title without a last-round fight
202 R Knox (Sco) 66 68 68,
203 D Berger (USA) 66 70 67,
204 B Haas (USA) 67 67 70, F Molinari (Ita) 67 69 68,
206 R Fisher (Eng) 69 68 69, R Fowler (USA) 65 73 68,
207 T Pieters (Bel) 71 70 66, M Kuchar (USA) 73 66 68, H Stenson (Swe) 69 71 67, S Lowry (Irl) 74 68 65, R McIlroy (Nir) 71 66 70, Z Xinjun (Chn) 68 69 70,
209 C Wood (Eng) 69 70 70, R Moore (USA) 71 72 66, S Garcia (Esp) 68 72 69, P Casey (Eng) 67 70 72,
210 R Karlberg (Swe) 64 75 71, E Grillo (Arg) 72 67 71, A Noren (Swe) 68 72 70, J Kokrak (USA) 70 73 67,
211 J Luiten (Ned) 72 68 71, R Bland (Eng) 68 68 75,
212 B Koepka (USA) 73 70 69, D Burmester (RSA) 68 70 74,
213 R Cabrera Bello (Esp) 71 74 68, A Scott (Aus) 69 80 64, J Thomas (USA) 71 70 72, K Chappell (USA) 70 71 72, T Hatton (Eng) 70 76 67, A Johnston (Eng) 75 69 69,
214 M Kaymer (Ger) 72 68 74,
215 W Ashun (Chn) 73 69 73, C Schwartzel (RSA) 72 71 72, J Holmes (USA) 71 74 70, L Oosthuizen (RSA) 71 75 69,
216 M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 72 74 70, T Jaidee (Tha) 70 73 73, S Hend (Aus) 72 72 72, L Westwood (Eng) 69 70 77, G Coetzee (RSA) 69 79 68, B Wiesberger (Aut) 71 72 73,
218 G Woodland (USA) 71 74 73, D Johnson (USA) 74 74 70, S O'Hair (USA) 73 73 72,
219 K Kim (SKor) 74 74 71, L Wenchong (Chn) 72 75 72, B Dredge (Wal) 72 73 74, B Grace (RSA) 73 75 71, P Reed (USA) 78 75 66, L Haotong (Chn) 73 72 74, D Zecheng (Chn) 77 70 72, K Na (USA) 75 71 73, H Tanihara (Jpn) 73 73 73,
220 R Sterne (RSA) 77 74 69, G Bourdy (Fra) 74 70 76, M Tabuena (Phi) 72 76 72, R Castro (USA) 73 74 73, S Kjeldsen (Den) 73 75 72, A Levy (Fra) 72 75 73, B Watson (USA) 71 73 76,
221 Y Song (SKor) 75 74 72, K Kisner (USA) 72 80 69, M Millar (Aus) 72 75 74,
222 J Zunic (Aus) 72 75 75, M Fraser (Aus) 78 73 71,
223 J Vegas (Ven) 79 71 73,
224 S Chan (Tpe) 79 74 71,
225 B An (SKor) 74 75 76, S Piercy (USA) 79 72 74,
226 J Blaauw (RSA) 76 73 77, Z Hui-Lin (Chn) 72 78 76,
227 D Willett (Eng) 74 78 75, S Kim (SKor) 74 81 72, J Wang (SKor) 82 76 69, S Lee (SKor) 76 76 75,
231 N Holman (Aus) 75 79 77,
234 J Walker (USA) 78 79 77,
WGC title without a last-round fight
Shanghai:
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama continued to spearhead the Asian challenge
after storming ahead with a flawless four-under-par 68 in the third
round of the WGC-HSBC Champions in China today.
Despite
the chilly conditions, Matsuyama never looked likely to relinquish his
overnight lead as he stayed cool under pressure by marking his card with
four birdies to head into the final round
with a three-shot cushion, courtesy of his three-day total of
17-under-par 199.
Defending
champion Russell Knox from Inverness matched Matsuyama’s 68 and took
second place with his 202 total while American Daniel Berger is third on
203 at the US$9.5 million Chinese showpiece,
which is also the most lucrative event in Asia.
Matsuyama
stands on the brink of becoming the first Japanese to win a World Golf
Championship but he knows he cannot get ahead of himself just yet.
“Winning?
Hopefully we can talk about it tomorrow. All I want to do now is to do
my best tomorrow and hit one shot at a time,” said Matsuyama.
The
Japanese, who broke into the world’s top-10 on the Official World Golf
Ranking this week, is up against some of the world’s best players at the
Sheshan International Golf Club and will be
hoping to wield his putter like a magical wand on the day that would
matter most.
“You
know, the weather and the pin placements will dictate what type of golf
I play. But I mean, everyone is so good. I know I'm going to have to
make some birdies.
“So the key for tomorrow's round I hope not to make any bogeys and putt really well like what I’ve done today,” said Matsuyama.
Despite
trailing the Japanese by three shots, Knox is resolute about putting up
a stout defence of his WGC-HSBC Champions title, although he is
impressed with the way Matsuyama has been playing.
“I'm not going to give up my title without a big fight tomorrow. I look forward to every minute tomorrow and see what happens.
“The
way Hideki played today, he's probably going to play similarly
tomorrow. He's an extremely aggressive iron player, and when he's on,
he's as good as anyone. I'm going to have to be foot down,
be aggressive and try and catch him,” said Knox.
Berger
meanwhile believes he has to continue to stay grounded as he heads into
the final showdown with Matsuyama and Knox in the final group.
“I’m
trying to keep expectations down and have some fun while keep doing the
same thing I've been doing the whole week,” said Berger.
THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72) Yardage 7,261
199 H Matsuyama (Jpn) 66 65 68,202 R Knox (Sco) 66 68 68,
203 D Berger (USA) 66 70 67,
204 B Haas (USA) 67 67 70, F Molinari (Ita) 67 69 68,
206 R Fisher (Eng) 69 68 69, R Fowler (USA) 65 73 68,
207 T Pieters (Bel) 71 70 66, M Kuchar (USA) 73 66 68, H Stenson (Swe) 69 71 67, S Lowry (Irl) 74 68 65, R McIlroy (Nir) 71 66 70, Z Xinjun (Chn) 68 69 70,
209 C Wood (Eng) 69 70 70, R Moore (USA) 71 72 66, S Garcia (Esp) 68 72 69, P Casey (Eng) 67 70 72,
210 R Karlberg (Swe) 64 75 71, E Grillo (Arg) 72 67 71, A Noren (Swe) 68 72 70, J Kokrak (USA) 70 73 67,
211 J Luiten (Ned) 72 68 71, R Bland (Eng) 68 68 75,
212 B Koepka (USA) 73 70 69, D Burmester (RSA) 68 70 74,
213 R Cabrera Bello (Esp) 71 74 68, A Scott (Aus) 69 80 64, J Thomas (USA) 71 70 72, K Chappell (USA) 70 71 72, T Hatton (Eng) 70 76 67, A Johnston (Eng) 75 69 69,
214 M Kaymer (Ger) 72 68 74,
215 W Ashun (Chn) 73 69 73, C Schwartzel (RSA) 72 71 72, J Holmes (USA) 71 74 70, L Oosthuizen (RSA) 71 75 69,
216 M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 72 74 70, T Jaidee (Tha) 70 73 73, S Hend (Aus) 72 72 72, L Westwood (Eng) 69 70 77, G Coetzee (RSA) 69 79 68, B Wiesberger (Aut) 71 72 73,
218 G Woodland (USA) 71 74 73, D Johnson (USA) 74 74 70, S O'Hair (USA) 73 73 72,
219 K Kim (SKor) 74 74 71, L Wenchong (Chn) 72 75 72, B Dredge (Wal) 72 73 74, B Grace (RSA) 73 75 71, P Reed (USA) 78 75 66, L Haotong (Chn) 73 72 74, D Zecheng (Chn) 77 70 72, K Na (USA) 75 71 73, H Tanihara (Jpn) 73 73 73,
220 R Sterne (RSA) 77 74 69, G Bourdy (Fra) 74 70 76, M Tabuena (Phi) 72 76 72, R Castro (USA) 73 74 73, S Kjeldsen (Den) 73 75 72, A Levy (Fra) 72 75 73, B Watson (USA) 71 73 76,
221 Y Song (SKor) 75 74 72, K Kisner (USA) 72 80 69, M Millar (Aus) 72 75 74,
222 J Zunic (Aus) 72 75 75, M Fraser (Aus) 78 73 71,
223 J Vegas (Ven) 79 71 73,
224 S Chan (Tpe) 79 74 71,
225 B An (SKor) 74 75 76, S Piercy (USA) 79 72 74,
226 J Blaauw (RSA) 76 73 77, Z Hui-Lin (Chn) 72 78 76,
227 D Willett (Eng) 74 78 75, S Kim (SKor) 74 81 72, J Wang (SKor) 82 76 69, S Lee (SKor) 76 76 75,
231 N Holman (Aus) 75 79 77,
234 J Walker (USA) 78 79 77,
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