Thaworn powers to joint lead at Malaysian Masters

Thaworn powers to joint lead at Malaysian Masters

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Thaworn Wiratchant cruised into position
for back-to-back titles in Asia when he carded a five-under-par
67 to become the joint third-round leader at the US$275,000
Malaysian Masters Saturday.

The 34-year-old Thai, who has been oozing with confidence
since winning the Singapore Open in June, put on another
masterful performance to join overnight leader Scott Kammann at
the top of the leaderboard at 13-under-par 203.

The American ground out a 69, holing a 10-foot birdie at the
last to tie the Thai.

The leading duo are a stroke ahead of China's Zhang Lian-wei,
who signed for a four-under-par 68 while Taiwanese veteran Chung
Chun-hsing kept himself in contention with a bogey-free 70 that
left him two shots off the pace.

Thaworn, who has one of the most unorthodox swings on the
Tour, carded five birdies at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club,
including an unlikely chip-in at the par three 17th. "I'm
confident of winning again.

"Somehow, I've been very confident with my game after my
success in Singapore. I can see myself lifting the trophy
tomorrow.

"I pushed my tee shot at 17 into the grass bunker when someone
in the crowd distracted me. But chipping in for birdie was great
and I should thank the guy who made the noise. I missed a birdie
opportunity at 18 (for the outright lead) but I will birdie it
tomorrow to win the title," said the self-assured Thai.

Thaworn has found great success in his forays to Malaysia in
the past, winning a total of eight titles including the 1989
Malaysian PGA Championship and the 1996 Sabah Masters, which was
his first Asian Tour success.

Winning Sunday would earn Thaworn a slice of history as this
will be the final Malaysian Masters. Organizers have announced
that it will be replaced with the $500,000 Asian Masters, which
will be the final stop on the 2002 Asian Tour.

"It would be nice to become the last winner of the Volvo
Masters of Malaysia. But I've got to play another 18 holes. My
game is very good right now because I've been practicing hard in
recent weeks," he said.

Tennessee-born Kammann, who led by one at the halfway stage,
only came alive in the inward nine with four birdies against a
dropped shot at 17, when he three putted for the first time this
week.

For the second day in a row, China's Zhang struggled in the
heat. He blitzed the front nine with four birdies, dropping a
monster 30-footer at the par four eighth but scrambled on the
back nine with a bogey at 10 and birdie at 12.

Malaysia's P. Gunasegaran raised the local cheers when he
signed the day's best card of seven-under-par 65 to move to joint
fifth place on 10-under, three behind the leaders. Victory would
make Gunasegaran the first and last winner of the Malaysian
Masters as he was the inaugural champion in 1994 before the event
joined the Asian Tour.