Steady Jazz presses on as McIlroy leads by one at the WGC-HSBC Champions

Shanghai, November 2: Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond returned with another three-under-par 69 to emerge as the second highest ranked Asian after Korea’s Sungjae Im following the conclusion of the third round of the WGC-HSBC Champions on Saturday.

Like his second round, the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader posted a 69 again for a three-day total of eight-under-par 208 to take the outright 13^th place, seven shots behind world number two Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who moved to the top with his third consecutive round of 67.

McIlroy, who is chasing his third World Golf Championships (WGC) title, heads into the final round with a one-shot advantage over South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen after the 2010 Open champion signed for a 65 at the Sheshan International Golf Club.

Oosthuizen has never won a WGC event where the closest he came to doing so was at the 2016 WGC-Dell Match Play when he lost in the final.

Overnight leader Matthew Fitzpatrick of England and defending champion Xander Schauffele of the United States were a further shot back in a share of third place.

Im signed for a 70 to share sixth place with American Jason Kokrak at the year’s final WGC event.

Did you know?

• Jazz Janewattananond posted a tied-65th and 57th finish in Korea and Japan respectively prior to his arrival in Shanghai.
• Jazz broke into top-100 on the OWGR after winning his third Asian Tour title in Singapore in January and marked his career-best ranking when he rose to 52nd position following his fourth victory in Korea in June.
• At the age of 23 years 6 months and 27 days, Jazz becomes the youngest ever player to achieve four wins on Tour.
• A victory for Rory McIlroy would see him join just Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson in having won three of the four WGC events.
• The Northern Irishman won his second and latest WGC event in 2015 and since then has had nine top-10s in the tournaments, including a fourth top-five at Sheshan International Golf Club in 2016.
• Louis Oosthuizen entered the final round of the 2011 WGC-HSBC Champions in solo second but finished tied-seventh with an even-par 72
• He has seven prior starts at the WGC-HSBC Champions with top-10s in 2011 (tied-seventh) and 2012 (tied-sixth)

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