Singapore: Jeongwoo Ham maintained his tempo, consistency, and hydration for a third straight day to retain his solo lead and return a three-under round — 13-under overall — to open a four-stroke lead going into the deciding day of the $2million International Series Singapore here on Saturday.
The South Korean, gunning for a maiden Asian Tour win, entered the competition as a largely unknown commodity outside of his country where he has been a four-time winner on the Korean PGA Tour. But neither the stage nor the brutal conditions have deterred him so far.
The 31-year-old, who turned professional in 2018, fired five birdies to go with a couple of bogeys —one on either nine— to ward off challenge from Australia’s Cameron John whose 4-under was the joint best round of the day. John enters the final day at 9-under, four behind Ham. Japan’s Tomohiro Ishizaka and Frenchman Julien Sale were next, aggregating 8-under and 7-under respectively
Starting the day with a two-shot lead over Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, Ham moved three ahead at the turn, before going four in front after a birdie on 10. The back nine witnessed a putting masterclass of sorts where Ham read the greens to perfection and nailed a couple of tricky putts.
The Korean rode his luck on the par-four 13th when his tee shot just stopped short of water. He capitalised on it by hitting his approach shot to 15 feet and holing for birdie. He followed that up with another birdie on the 14th, a par-three, by sinking a putt from a similar length before saving par on the next thanks to an accurate an eight-footer.
“It feels great because my name is always on the top and the other players aren’t overtaking me. I hope it stays that way tomorrow,” said Ham, who played in this event when it was last held on The Serapong in 2022.
“There’s no secret to my putting, really. The greens are just perfect. There isn’t much I pay attention to when I’m putting, but I just make sure I get it done quickly because of the heat.”
Among Indians, Gaganjeet Bhullar gritted out on an up and down day to stay in contention for a 12th Asian Tour win. The 37-year-old carded a cumulative six-under to take the fifth spot with Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig and Jazz.
Bhullar had a tough start, double bogeying on par-4 third before recovering to make a birdie at the next hole itself, a par-5. Another birdie arrived on the ninth but back nine saw him parring all but one hole — the 14th— where he bogeyed.
“That double bogey was a bit unfortunate. I hit a good drive, it was in the first cut and the lay was fine. I had about 210 yards with a five-iron but made a poor swing and pulled it left. From there, I ended up in a tricky spot near the bunker with no proper stance for my fourth shot. I managed to get it to about 10 feet but missed the putt,” said Bhullar.
“It was hot and humid again, but I thought I played well overall. The score wasn’t as good as the last two rounds because I didn’t hole as many birdie putts, but I created plenty of opportunities. I drove the ball really well, that was probably the strongest part of my game today. Even towards the end, I gave myself chances, just couldn’t convert a few of them,” he said.
“Then, on the last hole, I hit a really good drive and a solid two-iron. I had a pitch that landed just short, otherwise it could have been very close for eagle. Just a bit unlucky there. But overall, with 18 holes to go, I’ll keep my head down, get some lunch, and spend some time working on my putting. The game is there, I just need to sort out the putting for the last 18 holes and try to make the most of it.”
Already the most successful active pro on the Asian Tour, Bhullar is not thinking about the trophy just yet although his larger goal is to overtake Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant’s tally of 18 trophies for the all-time record. “That’s a record I would like to break before I retire,” he said.
