Mike Cunning closes in at Ta Shee Open

TA SHEE, Taiwan (Agencies): The Omega Tour's Order of Merit leader Mike Cunning of the United States moved onto the shoulders of the leaders in the US$250,000 Ta Shee Open Championship after being one of only six players to break 70 at Ta Shee Golf and Country Club.

The 38-year-old from Arizona, in search of his first win on the Omega Tour, carded a three-under-par 69 in the third round to lie two strokes behind leaders Wang Ter-chang and Tseng Wen-chi, both of Taiwan.

Wang, who carded a 70, and Tseng, in with a 71, lead the tournament on five-under-par 211.

American Eric Meeks is in third place, a stroke behind after returning a 72, while Cunning is tied with Australian Leith Wastle in fourth. Wastle also scored in the 60s after firing a 68.

"It would mean an awful lot to me to win," said Cunning, who leads the money list with winnings of $125,099.

"It's been a great season so far but I am still very hungry for a win," added Cunning. "I played some very controlled golf today. I dropped just one shot and covered the front nine in two under par and the back in one under. I am nicely placed in a position that I am quite familiar with."

Cunning placed joint fourth in last week's Hero Honda Masters at the Delhi Golf Club in India and has finished second once and third three times this season.

A win in Taiwan, worth $40,375, would solidify his position at the top of the Merit list where he leads from India's Jeev Milkha Singh, who has earned $103,366, with five more events to go.

"I will have to go to the States soon to the U.S. PGA Tour Qualifying School so it will be great to go away with a strong lead on the money list," said Cunning.

In Cunning's way at the top of the leaderboard is the experienced Wang and little-known Tseng. Wang won the Taiwan Tour's money list last year and is a six time winner in Taiwan, and won the Philippine Open in 1992.

Tseng on the other hand is in virgin territory having never led a professional tournament at any level before in six years as a pro.

Both of the leaders made bogey on the last at Ta Shee with Wang, coming close to disaster after his tee shot finished a foot away from dropping into the huge lake that eats into the fairway.

Meeks, who had started the third round in the lead with Tseng, also slipped up over the closing holes with bogies on 16 and 17.

Results 211 - Wang Ter-Chang (Tpe) 71 70 70, Tseng Wen-Chi (Tpe) 71 69

71 212 - Eric Meeks (USA) 69 71 72 213 - Leith Wastle (Aus) 71 74 68, Mike Cunning (USA) 71 73 69 214 - Eric Rustand (USA) 71 73 70, Kohki Idoki (Jpn) 72 72 70,

Chen Liang-Hsi (Tpe) 71 71 72, Jerry Smith (USA) 70 72 72,

Lin Chih-Chen (Tpe) 70 71 73 215 - Chen Tze-Chung (Tpe) 70 75 70, Lin Wen-Teng (Tpe) 73 72 70.

Hsieh Yu-Shu (Tpe) 70 73 72, Mardan Mamat (Sin) 72 70 73 216 - Mitsuo Harada (Jpn) 73 72 71, Yoshitaka Yamamoto (Jpn) 74

71 71, Lai Ying-Juh (Tpe) 73 70 73 217 - Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) 73 76 68, Lin Keng-Chi (Tpe) 71 76

70, Rafael Ponce (Ecu) 73 73 71, Clay Devers (USA) 73 73

71, Chen Yuan-Chi (Tpe) 73 73 71 218 - Li Wen-Sheng (Tpe) 76 75 67, Aaron Meeks (USA) 74 76 68,

Dominique Boulet (Hkg) 70 79 69, Chung Chun-Hsing (Tpe)

73 75 70, Christian Pena (USA) 75 73 70, Andy Wada (Jpn)

75 69 74, Jee Tae-hwa (Kor) 72 72 74 219 - Mo Joong-kyung (Kor) 76 72 71