Kyung-Tae Kim and Bubba Watson lock horns for the final round of Australian PGA Championship
South Korean Kyung-Tae Kim has surged to the top of the star-studded Australian PGA Championship with a stunning third round of five-under, 63 at the Hyatt Regency Coolum at the breathtaking Sunshine Coast. This was Kim’s second consecutive low of 67 in
the two day stretch and the young golfer is hoping to step up to the challenge on the final day of the event.
Kim carded three birdies on the front nine and two more after making the turn in his bogey-free round in the day. He has done well throughout the event with a putting average of 30 per round.
Catching up on his heels, is the long-hitting Bubba Watson, who is now trailing the leader by just one shot. Watson, who succumbed to late bogeys on the second day and had to let go of his hard-earned lead, managed to card four birdies, a stellar eagle at
par-five,1st and fell for a bogey at par-three, 2nd and a disastrous double-bogey at the 15th. The last holes of the course have been nerve-wrecking for the American but he hopes to regain his top form on the final day. Watson
cautioned that the course is vulnerable and can play in anyone’s favour on the final day.
"You can score early but then it kind of slows down, the back nine the wind is different and the wind makes it work just the pars and then you've got a few holes on the back nine where you can make birdies." said Watson. "But (if) you start off really hot,
put some pressure on some people so someone back in the field can easily jump up real quick."
President’s Cup International Team member Aaron Baddeley also threw himself in contention for the coveted title, finishing for an outright third, scoring a five-under, 67 on the third day. Marcus Fraser, second round leader, fell for terrible bogeys and
a double-bogey on the back nine to fell out of contention and is currently poised at joint fourth alongside Y. E Yang and David Bransdon.
Yang, the only Asian player to win a major in 2009 PGA Championship, kicked off with back to back birdies on the front nine but remained complacent in the rest of the round. He finished for a two-under, 70.
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