After a best-of-the-season T15 finish at last week’s Volvo China Open, Conor Purcell made it back-to-back tournaments with weekend work thanks to rounds of 73 and 70 at the Hainan Classic in Mission Hills, China, but hopes of another strong result are slim after another 73 on moving day saw him drop into a tie for 60th.
Starting on the back nine, he traded a single bogey on 11 with a birdie on 12 and made the turn at level-par, but two bogeys on the front side with just the one birdie saw him sign for a one-over 73 that dropped him back to level-par overall.
Marco Penge will bid to secure his maiden DP World Tour title when he heads into the final round tied at the top with home favourite Bowen Xiao.
The Englishman posted a sublime seven-under-par round of 65, which was matched by Xiao, to share a one-stroke lead on 12-under, with 2023 Betfred British Masters winner Daniel Hillier just one shot behind in third place.
The 26-year-old was three-under after five holes but miscued a driver-off-the-deck at the sixth, which resulted in what could have been a costly double bogey.
However, the 2023 HotelPlanner Tour Number One rallied with a birdie at the seventh to halve the deficit, before sparking into life as he made the turn.
Penge holed out for an eagle two from 145 yards at the par four tenth hole, before rolling in his second eagle in three holes at the par five 12th to move into the lead. A final birdie arrived at the par four 17th as he set the target at 12 under, which could only be matched by China’s Xiao.
The two-time HotelPlanner Tour winner’s previous best finish on the DP World Tour was a third place at this year’s Investec South African Open Championship and takes a share of the 54-hole lead for the first time in his career this week, while local favourite Xiao continues his excellent record on Hainan Island.
“I started off great,” Penge said. “My approach play was really good today. I was in close early doors. I think I was three under through five. And then I tried to take six on and hit driver off the deck and it was probably one of the worst shots I’ve ever hit, but after that I played really solid. It was just one bad swing.
“I’ve been really working this year to try and stay patient and accepting of whatever the outcome is, me and my caddy have just been trying to control the things we can control and at the end of the day, if I go and play well tomorrow or not, it’s not going to define me as a person and I just appreciate doing what I do and I love it.”
The China native has two top ten finishes in the HotelPlanner Tour’s Hainan Open, which is held in the south of the Island. The 35-year-old is seeking his first DP World Tour or China Tour victory.
Kiwi Hillier added a third round 68 to his seven under par total to sit third with one round to play, one clear of England’s Sam Bairstow, Frenchman Martin Couvra and Australian Elvis Smylie on -10.
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