Chinese-Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao took the third-round lead at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Saturday and is one round away from his first Asian Tour win.
Hung shot a two-under 70 at Taiwan Golf and Country Club to reach seven under. He leads by one from compatriot Shen Wei-cheng, who also shot 70, and Malaysia’s Gavin Green, who won the event in 2017 and carded a 71.
Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai is alone in fourth, another shot back, after a 72.
Chang slips after doubles
Second-round leader Chang Wei-lun made double bogeys on the eighth and 13th and signed for a 74. He is three off the lead in a tie for fifth.
Chang had gone top on Friday with a four-under 68 to reach six under. He is tied fifth with Australian Jed Morgan (69), Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond (69), Korea’s Jeunghun Wang (70), American Shotaro Ban (71) and Chinese-Taipei’s Hsieh Ting-wei (71).
Hung recovers from double on 10
Hung, playing with Chang in the final group, birdied the first two holes. He then dropped a shot on the sixth and made a double bogey on the 10th before birdies on 14 and 15.
“I was kind of upset [after the double on 10], but that was all right because I know number 10 is always a tough hole,” said Hung, whose wife Cindy is caddying for him. “I should have just played smarter to make just a bogey.”
The 34-year-old finished third at the Yeangder TPC last week. That was his 11th top-five finish in 13 seasons on the Asian Tour, where his best result is second at last year’s Taiwan Glass Taifong Open. He has won 15 times on the local tour since 2013, including three Asian Development Tour titles, the latest at the Ambassador ADT Open in July.
“I know a lot of crowds, a lot of spectators, are actually here for me, so I’m just gonna enjoy the round tomorrow and just try to hit a lot of good shots to show everybody,” he said.
Green back in contention
Green made two birdies and one bogey. He has had a season disrupted by tennis elbow and is chasing his first Asian Tour win since his victory here nine years ago, the same year he won the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
“Actually, I could have gotten pretty good, just missed a lot of putts early on,” he said. “For me, this is like home again. So, yeah, it’s good, it’s good to be back.”
Thailand’s Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat, playing only his second event as a professional, shot 71 and is tied 19th on one under.
Read more: Kevin Yuan led after the first round in Taiwan.
