Awangku Muhd Syakir Pengiran Haji Alli tees off during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. – AFP
BRUNEI Darussalam’s golfer Awangku Muhd Syakir bin Pengiran Haji Alli shot a six-over-par 78 in the third round of the Men’s Individual Golf at the 18th Asian Games at the Pondok Indah Golf & Country Club in Jakarta yesterday.
The national athlete amassed 21-over-par and a total score of 237 and matched his score from the first round in his latest session to nudge two places ahead into tied-60th.
Awangku Muhd Syakir made a double bogey in the par-three 12th and accompanied by two bogeys before sinking a birdie in the first hole of the front nine.
The 21-year-old was besieged with three straight bogeys before making four pars to complete the front nine.
Awangku Muhd Syakir’s national teammate Mohd Aritz Maldini bin Haji Abdul Majid carded a seven-over-par 79 to move up three places into tied-67th.
Mohd Aritz Maldini, who collected a 25-over-par 241 made a double bogey in the first hole of the back nine and was accompanied with five bogeys as his play improved slightly from his tough second-round outing.
Japan’s Keita Nakajima stayed at the top of the leader-board for a third consecutive night and extended his lead to three strokes with a solid two-under-par 70.
The battle for Asian Games glory heated up but Nakajima steadied the ship with two birdies as two bogeys threatened his competitors jumping into the lead on the eve of the final round.
Singapore’s Gregory Raymund Yongen Foo looked to be cruising after catapulting into second place just a shot shy of the lead after a run of four birdies in seven holes.
However, contrasting displays in the front nine where he slipped four bogeys with a birdie minimising the damage led him to a tied-7th place and six strokes behind the leader.
Then, in dramatic scenes on a fine Pondok Indah course, Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana grabbed the lead after making three birdies in six holes but a bogey on the par-4 15th limited his progress.
The Thai ace fired two birdies in the hope of making a close race at the top but two bogeys in the front nine including the final hole separated him from a three-way tied-second place.
China’s Jin Cheng and South Korea’s Seungtaek Oh will be both looking to wrestle top spot away from the nerveless Nakajima after firing a brilliant five-under-par 67.
The duo shared second place with a seven-under-par 209, three strokes behind the leader despite being outside the top 10 before the start of the third round of play.
