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