Manila, Philippines: James Leow fired a stunning six-under-par 66 in the third round of the Nomura Cup to propel Singapore into contention for their first Asia-Pacific Amateur Golf Team Championship title.
The 25-year-old former Southeast Asian Games gold medallist made seven birdies en route to the best score of the day on the Masters Course at Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club.
With Ryan Ang battling back from a double-bogey seven at the long eighth to sign for a 69, Singapore posted a day three total of 135 in the event in which the best two daily scores in each three-man team are counted.
That was the best performance of the day and enabled them to reduce the advantage of overnight leaders Japan by three shots.
Heading into Friday’s final round, Japan, with Yuta Sugiura and Minato Oshima once more to the fore, leads the way with a team aggregate of 19-under 413.
Singapore is second on 416 with Korea (418) and New Zealand (419) also in the mix for what promises to be a thrilling final-day.
In the individual standings, Leow moved to the top of the leaderboard on 12-under 204 with Sugiura and Korean Jang Yubin in a share of second place on 206.
A further stroke back in joint fourth are Oshima and Australian Jack Buchanan with New Zealander Kazuma Kobori on 209.
While Japan is bidding for a record-equalling 10th Nomura Cup title and a first since 2015, Korea (2009) and New Zealand (1995) have won just once each. Singapore has not finished in the top-two since the Nomura Cup was launched in 1963.
However, thanks to the heroics of Leow and Ang, Singapore led for much of Thursday and were three in front of Japan by the time their team were back in the clubhouse.
But playing behind them, Korea, New Zealand and Japan all finished strongly.
Sugiura was one-over for the day through 14 holes but made birdies on 15, 17 and 18 to card a 70. Oshima was one-under after 14 and also finished with a flourish, picking up shots at 15 and 17 for a 69.
With his solitary bogey of the day at 14, Jang moved to one-under but also turned on the style with three birdies over the final four holes to post a second successive 68.
Kiwi Kobori endured a roller-coaster day with seven birdies offset by five bogeys. His front nine 34 contained just one par.
TEAM SCORES
413 – Japan (138-136-139)
416 – Singapore (137-144-135)
418 – Korea (141-136-141)
419 – New Zealand (141-140-138)
427 – Thailand (139-152-136); Australia (135-150-142)
428 – Chinese Taipei (138-145-145)
429 – Malaysia (141-145-143)
435 – Philippines (141-151-143)
438 – Hong Kong (145-153-140)
440 – India (144-150-146)
442 – Indonesia (148-150-144)
462 – Guam (157-152-153)
474 – Pakistan (154-158-162)
508 – Mongolia (176-169-163)
517 – United Arab Emirates (169-170-178)
INDIVIDUAL SCORES
204 – James Leow (Singapore) 66-72-66
206 – Jang Yubin (Korea) 70-68-68; Yuta Sugiura (Japan) 67-69-70
207 – Minato Oshima (Japan) 71-67-69; Jack Buchanan (Australia) 66-70-71
209 – Kazuma Kobori (New Zealand) 71-68-70
212 – Ryan Ang (Singapore) 71-72-69; Malcolm Ting (Malaysia) 71-70-71; Su Chung-hung (Chinese Taipei) 68-73-71; Moon Dong-hyun (Korea) 71-68-73
216 – Sam Jones (New Zealand) 76-72-68
217 – Jimmy Hydes (New Zealand) 70-73-74; Hung Chao-hsin (Chinese Taipei) 70-72-75; Arsit Areephun (Thailand) 66-75-76
218 – Rayhan Latief (Indonesia) 73-75-70
219 – Ashita Piamkulvanich (Thailand) 73-79-67; Jacob Rolida (Philippines) 71-78-70; Anson Yeo (Malaysia) 70-77-72; Kristoffer Arevalo (Philippines) 70-76-73; Lu Sun-yi (Chinese Taipei) 72-73-74; Yuvraj Singh (India) 72-73-74
220 – Quinnton Croker (Australia) 69-80-71; John Camacho (Guam) 75-73-72; Zia Izzuddeen (Malaysia) 72-75-73
221 – Isaac Lam (Hong Kong) 77-76-68; Pongsapak Laopakdee (Thailand) 75-77-69; Leon D’Souza (Hong Kong) 72-77-72
223 – Shaurya Bhattacharya (India) 72-79-72
224 – Riura Matsui (Japan) 77-73-74; Jonathan Hartono (Indonesia) 75-75-74; Elee Bisera (Philippines) 72-75-77
225 – Krishnav Nikhil Chopraa (India) 73-77-75
228 – Kim Hyun-uk (Korea) 72-76-80
230 – Brandon Han (Singapore) 75-78-77
232 – Jye Pickin (Australia) 75-86-71
234 – Kenneth Sutianto (Indonesia) 76-81-77
235 – Lou Tan Chi-hin (Hong Kong) 73-85-77
237 – Saad Malik (Pakistan) 78-78-81; Syed Shazli (Pakistan) 76-80-81
242 – Nalapon Vongjalorn (Guam) 82-79-81
248 – Damil Attaullah (Pakistan) 86-81-81
251 – Eugene Park (Guam) 82-86-83
252 – Bat-Amgalan Chinbat (Mongolia) 88-84-80
256 – Mungunshagai Gantsolmon (Mongolia) 88-85-83; Rashid Al Jassmy (United Arab Emirates) 84-84-88
261 – Mohammad Skaik (United Arab Emirates) 85-86-90
262 – Altaibaatar Batsaikhan (Mongolia) 88-87-87
274 – Abdalla Al Suwaidi (United Arab Emirates) 92-89-93
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