Kuala Lumpur: Englishman Danny Willett moved into position to claim a first title since his dramatic US Masters win last April after he forged a three-stroke lead going into Sunday’s final round at the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur.
The 29-year-old has struggled to replicate the form that led him to a first major triumph at Augusta National but Willett has shone this week at the Saujana Golf and Country Club and a five-under-par third round 67 took him to 16-under on Saturday.
After offsetting a single bogey with six birdies, Willett sits three clear of American David Lipsky and four ahead of Frenchman Alexander Levy in the co-sanctioned European and Asian Tour event.
“It was up and down, I’d have taken a 67 at the start of the day, it spreads the top five and top six guys out a bit more and further away,” Willett told reporters.
“I’m probably going to go hit a few [on the practice range] and make a few little minor tweaks here and there, and try to get the driver to where it’s been most of the week.
“I’m not sure what will win it to be honest, depends on if we pitch up and it’s flat calm. I think there’s a few guys that can go low if it’s windy like this.
“One or two under par is a good knock out there so I think it all depends on the weather tomorrow.”
Willett’s round had a lone blemish on the par-three fifth and he finished strongly with back-to-back birdies on the last two holes.
Lipsky recorded five birdies against one bogey for a 68 to stay ahead of Levy, who hit a blemish-free 67. Overnight leader Bernd Wiesberger slipped down to a five-way share of fourth place following a one-over-par 73.
In San Francisco, Jordan Spieth fired eight birdies in a seven-under 65 on Friday to seize the clubhouse lead before fog halted the second round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The former world number one, now ranked sixth, had a 10-under total of 133.
Fellow American Derek Fathauer was at 10-under with one to play on Pebble Beach golf links when play was suspended for the day.
The USPGA Tour event was already behind schedule after heavy rains and high winds rendered all three courses in use — Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula — unplayable on Thursday afternoon and left 81 players to complete the first round on Friday.
Spieth, playing Spyglass Hill, was among the few golfers to complete the second round, with more than 100 still to reach the halfway stage of the tournament.
“Putted a lot better today than yesterday, but conditions were also totally different,” Spieth said. “We got some pure greens out here at Spyglass and I started to roll some putts in starting on the third hole of the day, number 12.
“So, got in a nice rhythm, the hole started to look big towards the end and very glad to finish with a nice [birdie] three.”
Spieth had wrapped up his three-under par first round on Friday morning, parring his final two holes at Monterey Peninsula.
