Sterne leads Johnnie Walker Classic

Phuket:

Richard Sterne equalled the course record at the Blue Canyon Country Club to take a one-stroke lead in the Johnnie Walker Classic on Saturday. Ernie Els, a two-time winner of the event, looked to make his move during the third round. The South African came into the day trailing by nine strokes, but cut that deficit to seven after a bogey-free five-under-par 67. This lifted him into a share of 11th place at six-under. Colin Montgomerie sits one place ahead of Els and company on the leaderboard. The Scotsman finished the round in a five-way tie for sixth place at seven-under-par after a second successive two-under-par round of 70. Montgomerie finished his round with three birdies over the last four holes, but a double bogey at the 16th kept him out of the top four.

Inconsistent round Former Johnnie Walker Classic winner Retief Goosen carded an inconsistent par round of 72. The 2002 champion climbed up the leaderboard with three consecutive birdies from the second hole. But he followed that with three bogeys in a row from the fifth. The South African continued in a similar vein and finished the day in fifth place at eight-under. Goosen's compatriot Anton Haig sat in second place on the leaderboard after the second round, but slipped down to third on Saturday. Haig carded a two-under-par round of 70, with five birdies and three bogeys, to move to 11-under for the event. One place and one stroke ahead of Haig on the leaderboard sits second round leader Oliver Wilson. The Englishman sunk three birdies on the front nine, but managed none on the back nine, where he bogeyed the 17th and, finished the day at 12-under after a two-under-par 70. Climbing high Richard Sterne started the event with a three-over-par 75 on Thursday, but responded with two successive eight-under-par rounds of 64. This equalled the course record at the Blue Canyon Country Club, to climb to the top of the leaderboard. The South African carded three consecutive birdies from the fourth hole and picked up another at the ninth to reach the turn in 32. Sterne matched that score on the back nine with a birdie at the 12th and another three-in-a-row from the 15th to move into a one-stroke lead at 13-under-par.