Wi enjoys fine round at Kuala Lumpur Open

Wi enjoys fine round at Kuala Lumpur Open

KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Former American college star Charlie
Wi took the third round lead yesterday in the US$300,000 Mild
Seven Kuala Lumpur Open at Saujana Golf and Country Club.

The Korean-American, who has lived in the United States since
age 10, fired a three-under-par 69 for a total of seven-under-par
209. He holds a one stroke lead over Taiwan's Chou Hung-nan, who
carded a one-under-par 71 in what is the 11th event of the year
on the Asian PGA's Omega Tour.

Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng and Taiwan's Lu Wen-teh are tied
in third place on four-under-par 212 after returning a 68 and 70
respectively.

Wi, who lost in a sudden-death play-off for the top spot in
the Omega Tour's Qualifying School in January this year, toured
the difficult Palm Course without dropping a stroke.

"I have not been playing well recently and came into the
tournament with very little confidence," Wi said.

"Luckily I think that worked in my favor. On this golf course
you need to be playing conservatively, you don't have to be
attacking all the time. It really is a placement course."

His three birdies were highlighted by a 40-foot uphill putt on
the 14th. It was a par save, however, that really got the
25-year-old going.

On the 424-yard par four 15th, his seven iron second shot flew
the green and landed under the lip of a bunker.

"It was an impossible position. I had to get the ball straight
up otherwise the ball would have stayed in the sand. I opened
everything up, the clubface, my stance and sliced across it,"
said Wi, who splashed the ball out to six feet and made the putt.

Wi turned pro in 1995 following a distinguished amateur
career, first at the University in Nevada and then the University
of California, Berkeley.

In 1995 he was a NCAA First Team All-American, the honorary
team made up of the top six college players in the U.S. Tiger
Woods was also a member of the team that year.

"It's a great privilege to be on that team," said Wi, who
played 27 events on the Nike Tour last year. "You get invited to
special functions and dinners. Get to go to New York for dinner,
stuff like that. At one dinner I sat next to Donald Trump."

Chou, who had started the day in the joint lead with
Australian Leith Wastle and South African Craig Kamps on five
under par for the tournament, was the only one of the trio able
to keep up the pressure for the Omega Tour title.

He made the turn in one-over-par 37 but fought his way back
into contention with birdies on 11, 14 and 17. Kamps carded a
two-over-par 74 while Wastle returned a disastrous six-over-par
78. Conditions were much clearer than the previous two days, with
the sun's rays filtering through the haze adding some brightness
to the event.

Results

209 - Charlie Wi (Kor) 67 73 69
210 - Chou Hung-Nan (Tpe) 69 70 71
212 - Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) 72 72 68, Lu Wen-Teh (Tpe) 75 67 70
213 - Felix Casas (Phi) 72 69 72, Craig Kamps (Rsa) 70 69 74
214 - Soe Kyaw Naing (Myn) 71 75 68, Fran Quinn (USA) 73 72 69,
Kyi Hla Han (Myn) 74 71 69, Zhang Lian-Wei (Chn) 71 73 70,
Aaron Meeks (USA) 74 69 71, Kenny Walker (Sco) 72 70 72,
Choi Kyung-ju (Kor) 66 76 72
215 - Hsieh Yu-Shu (Tpe) 70 76 69, Jun Tae-hyun (Kor) 73 72 70,
Rob Willis (Aus) 73 71 71, Lin Chien-Bing (Tpe) 72 72 71
Lee Petters (UAE) 71 72 72, Jim Rutledge (Can) 71 72 72,
Clay Devers (USA) 73 69 73
216 - Danny Zarate (Phi) 75 73 68, Rafael Ponce (Ecu) 72 74 70,
Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) 71 74 71, Jeff Wagner (Aus) 69 74 73
217 - Hendrik Buhrmann (Rsa) 79 69 69, Peter Fowler (Aus) 74 73
70, M. Ramayah (Mas) 75 71 71, Chen Liang-Hsi (Tpe) 71 75
71, Nam Young-woo (Kor) 73 73 71, Scott Laycock (Aus) 71 75 71
219 - Derek Fung (Hkg) 72 75 72