Changhwa, Chinese Taipei, August 18: Local favourite Chan Shih-chang signed for a one-under-par 71 to edge ahead of the chasing pack following the penultimate round of the Taifong Open 2018 on Saturday.

The 32-year-old Chan, remains on course for his sixth Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory which would match Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert’s current record. He will take a two-shot lead on a nine-under-par 207 total, heading into the final round at the US$160,000 event.

Thailand’s Natipong Srithong returned with a 68 to share second place with Chinese Taipei’s Wang Wei-lun (70), who celebrated his 26th birthday today as well as the Japanese duo of Kazuki Higa (68) and Shohei Hasegawa (73) at the Taifong Golf Course.

Chan, playing in his first ADT event on home soil this season, made a fast charge on the front nine after draining a 30-foot putt for birdie on his second hole and then holing another birdie putt on hole five to turn in 34. He grabbed another birdie on hole 11 before dropping a shot on holes 14 and 16.

“I played pretty solid in my first nine holes and was making key putts. But after the eighth hole it started to rain, and I struggled to make putts because of how slow the speed of the greens got,” said Chan, who has yet to enjoy a top-10 result on the Asian Tour this year.

“I have been struggling with my swing all year, so this week I decided to just go back to my old swing and it is working out well for me. I am not going to put too much pressure on myself tomorrow to win because I just want to keep this momentum going,” said Chan, who won his first career title at the Taifong Open when it was a local event in 2010 and in 2014 when it was inaugurated on the ADT.

Higa, aiming for his second ADT title and hoping for a good finish this week to cement his position in the top-seven on the Merit rankings, carded a bogey-free round highlighted by three birdies.  

“I honestly feel like I gave away a lot of shots out there today. I have been struggling to get the speed right on these greens but the grains are just so different from what I am used to. I missed at least four birdie putts in my first nine holes,” said the 23-year-old Higa, who won his maiden ADT victory at the BTI Open in Bangladesh in April.

“I didn’t make any mistakes off the tee today which was good. I am in a good position and I just want to focus on not missing any short putts tomorrow,” added Higa, currently in eighth-place on the ADT Order of Merit.

Defending champion and reigning ADT Order of Merit champion Pannakorn Uthaipas of Thailand shot a 73 in the third round to take tied-42nd at the richest event on the ADT schedule.

The leading seven 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. Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points are offered for all ADT events. The winner will earn a total of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale.

Ends.

Leading third round scores: 

207 – CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 71 65 71

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 seven 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.