Hai Phong, Vietnam: Le Khanh Hung and Nguyen Anh Minh combined to raise Vietnam hopes of an historic victory in the 30th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship.

On a tense day at Vinpearl Hai Phong, the Vietnamese teenagers both bettered par to take the hosts to the top of the leaderboard heading into Friday’s final round – and within sight of their first Nomura Cup title in only their second appearance in the tournament.

Thanks to returns of 69 from Khanh Hung and 71 from Anh Minh, Vietnam posted a day three team score of four-under 140 in the event in which the best two daily scores in each three-man team are counted.

With a three-day team aggregate of 12-under 420, Vietnam leads by one from second-round pace-setters and defending champions Japan.

There’s then a four-stroke gap back to New Zealand in third with Korea fourth on 427. Thailand, who produced the best third-round team score of 138, climbed to fifth while Australia are the only other team under par on 431 in sixth.

In the individual standings, it’s Anh Minh who leads the way. Following a third successive sub-par return, he has a 54-hole total of seven-under 209.

That’s one shot in front of New Zealand’s Robby Turnbull with Australian Declan O’Donovan alone in third on 212.

One stroke further back is Khanh Hung, who shares fourth place with Malaysian Anson Yeo and the Japanese trio of Masayuki Yamashita, Takumi Kobayashi and Taishi Moto.

Anh Minh, at 84th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking the highest-rated player in the field, followed his bogey-free 67 on Wednesday with another solid round today, comprising two birdies and a solitary dropped shot, a three-putt bogey on 10.

Reflecting on his performance, the 17-year-old said: “My strategy for the last round will remain the same – try and keep it in play and hit as many greens as I can. I have to stay in the present. I can’t do more than that.

“My team-mates are doing really well and we’re looking forward to an exciting final day. We’ll be very proud if Vietnam is the winner.”

Bidding for a record 11th Nomura Cup title, the Japanese team is full of confidence, despite a difficult third round during which only Moto broke par.

Japan coach Craig Bishop said: “We’re right where we want to be. Any time you have a chance to win on the last day is always fun. There will be a little more pressure on the home team but in this format it changes so quickly so one shot behind is nothing.

“If we manage to gel as a team and get the momentum right that’s how you get a good result in this format.”

Japan began the third day with a two-stroke advantage from Vietnam and New Zealand.

The lead changed hands on several occasions before Japan and Vietnam pulled clear. The two teams were locked together at 11-under with the last two groups playing the 18th, Ho Anh Huy already back in the clubhouse with a 74 that would not be counted.

It was then that Khanh Hung, individual gold medallist at last year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, stepped up to the plate, two pinpoint shots presenting him with an eight-foot uphill putt on the final green.

As his ball disappeared below ground, 16-year-old Khanh Hung pumped his fist in celebration, that closing birdie enabling him to sign for a 69 to share honours for best round of the day with Thai duo of Thanawin Lee and Jiradech Chaowarat and Korean Baek Seung-hwa.

More importantly, it took Vietnam ahead of Japan with just 18 holes to play.

Team Scores

420 – Vietnam 143-137-140
421 – Japan 143-135-143
425 – New Zealand 143-137-145
427 – Korea 147-140-140
430 – Thailand 147-145-138
431 – Australia 144-143-144
432 – China 142-148-142; Hong Kong China 144-145-143
438 – India 145-146-147
439 – Malaysia 149-145-145
441 – Singapore 149-148-144
442 – Chinese Taipei 144-150-148; United Arab Emirates 148-149-145
454 – Philippines 152-150-152
476 – Pakistan 158-156-162
483 – Myanmar 167-160-156
490 – Saudi Arabia 166-160-164
524 – Mongolia 172-177-175
528 – Guam 173-177-178

Leading Individual Scores

209 – Nguyen Anh Minh (Vietnam) 71-67-71
210 – Robby Turnbull (New Zealand) 73-67-70
212 – Declan O’Donovan (Australia) 69-71-72
213 – Le Khanh Hung (Vietnam) 74-70-69; Taishi Moto (Japan) 72-70-71; Takumi Kobayashi (Japan) 73-68-72; Anson Yeo (Malaysia) 71-70-72; Masayuki Yamashita (Japan) 71-67-75
214 – Gu Liangliang (China) 69-75-70; Wang Ngai Shen (Hong Kong China) 72-71-71; Kartik Singh (India) 71-72-71
215 – Baek Seung-hwa (Korea) 73-73-69
216 – Park Jung-hung (Korea) 76-69-71; An Seong-hyeon (Korea) 74-71-71; Joshua Bai (New Zealand) 70-70-76