Bogor, Indonesia, March 23: Japan’s Shohei Hasegawa maintained his lead at the OB Golf Invitational after shooting a third round one-under-par 70 on Friday.

The 24-year-old Hasegawa put himself in position to win his first Asian Development Tour (ADT) title after battling fatigue to lead on 10-under-par 203 at the US$70,000 event staged at Gunung Geulis Golf and Country Club.

American Sydney Chung trails by a shot following a solid 66 while ADT Order of Merit leader John Catlin was a further two shots back of the lead after posting a 69. Local hope George Gandaranata is also in the title hunt as he trails Hasegawa by three shots.

Starting on hole one, Hasegawa had a slow start when he bogeyed hole six. He bounced back with two birdies on holes seven and eight and traded two birdies against as many bogeys on his homeward nine.  

“I wasn’t nervous at all coming into the third round since I played well in my second round. I was just out there playing good golf and having fun all day,” said Hasegawa, who completed his second round on Friday morning after play was disrupted by weather delays.

“I think I got tired around hole ten and I had to keep telling myself to push on. I focused on finding fairways and greens, make my par and move on. Hole ten was the one hole I wanted to do better on in my third round and I actually didn’t hit a very good tee shot on that hole which ended up in the rough on the left. But I made an up-and-down to save par,” added Hasegawa.

After earning an Asian Tour card at Qualifying School earlier this year, Hasegawa, who turned professional in December 2015, hopes to secure his first professional win at the inaugural OB Golf Invitational.

“I am quite nervous playing in the final group tomorrow and Sydney is only one shot behind. But my plan is to enjoy being in this position because my game is there and I know I can perform. The reason why I decided to play on the Asian Tour this year was because I love travelling and since getting my card I have been to New Zealand and Brunei and now this is my first time to Indonesia. It is a huge privilege for me and I just need to stay in the moment and enjoy myself tomorrow,” said the Japanese.

Chung of the United States is within striking distance of Hasegawa after trading six birdies against one bogey.

“I thought I left a lot of shots out there yesterday which sounds surprising since I shot 65. So, I came in today hoping to get into double digits under-par but I am still happy with the position I put myself in going into the final round. My only mistake was a three-putt from 25-feet on hole six but my short game overall was pretty good. I was driving the ball really well too and I didn’t miss the fairway at all,

I found something in my swing and I have been sticking to that shot since then which worked out well in the second and third round. I had a bad category from (Asian Tour) Qualifying School so if I win I’ll just be happy to know that I’ll be playing in the rest of the events this year,” said Chung.

All ADT events are afforded Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) status. The winner of each tournament receives a minimum of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale.

The leading five players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season.

For more information on the ADT, please visit www.asiandevelopmenttour.com.

Ends.

Leading Round Three scores

203 – Shohei HASEGAWA (JPN) 68 65 70

204 – Sydney CHUNG (USA) 73 65 66

205 – John CATLIN (USA) 67 69 69

206 – George GANDRANATA (INA) 70 69 67

208 – Johnson POH (SGP) 69 70 69

209 – Lee SONG (KOR) 69 74 66, Oscar ZETTERWALL (SWE) 71 69 69, Shinichi MIZUNO (JPN) 70 64 75

210 – Stephen LINDSKOG (SWE) 69 73 68, Malcolm KOKOCINSKI (SWE) 69 73 68

About Asian Development Tour

The Asian Development Tour was launched in 2010 with the aim of creating a career pathway for professional golfers in Asia. Sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the Asian Development Tour will ultimately create a new playing platform for emerging stars from across Asia and around the world. Through the Asian Tour Qualifying School, players will qualify for the Asian Development Tour and enjoy the opportunity to hone their games and talent through a secondary circuit in Asia. Designed in the same structure as the Web.com Tour in America and European Challenge Tour, the Asian Development Tour is a stepping stone to the Asian Tour and the exciting world of international golf. The Asian Development Tour has been structured to ensure the best opportunities for its members. The leading five players on the Asian Development Tour will earn coveted Asian Tour cards for the following season, ensuring a proper career pathway for aspiring professionals. All ADT events receive Official World Golf Ranking points.