This handout photo provided by OneAsia shows Kim Bi-O of South Korea during the 31st GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship at the Nam Seoul Golf and Country Club in Seoul. Kim showed a maturity that belied his youth Saturday to shoot a five-under-par 67 and take a two shot lead into the final round of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship.
SEOUL - Kim Bi-O showed a maturity that belied his youth Saturday to shoot a five-under-par 67 and take a two shot lead into the final round of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship.
The 21-year-old from South Korea sits on a 11-under-par total of 205 after a scintillating third round display on the hilly 6,964 yard (6,368 metre) Namseoul Country Club course in Seoul.
Kim, who won the Nanshan China Masters OneAsia event last year, dropped only one shot all day — a missed four-foot putt on the last giving the chasing pack a hope going into Sunday’s final round.
“I tried really hard to concentrate out there and it went well all day until that bogey on the last,” Kim said. “I just want to go out there tomorrow and do the same thing,” he added in comments released by the organisers.
Kim scored three birdies either side of the turn to leave him best placed to win the third event of the 2012 OneAsia circuit.
The par-five 14th was pivotal when overnight leader Park Sang-Hyun bogeyed after twice hooking into the woods that line the course.
A birdie by Kim meant a two-shot swing and a lead he never looked like relinquishing.
Park, 29, lies alone in second place, with Hwang In-Choon, 37, and Choi Ho-Sung a shot further back at eight-under after both scoring 68s on Saturday.
The OneAsia tour has 14 events this year with a total purse of over $16 million.
Leading scores after the third round (par 72):
205 – Kim Bi-O (KOR) 69-69-67
207 – Park Sang-Hyun (KOR) 68-69-70
208 – Hwang In-Choon (KOR) 69-71-68, Choi Ho-Sung (KOR) 70-70-68
211 – Hu Mu (CHN) 68-75-68, Lee Sang-Hee (KOR) 70-72-69, Lucas Lee (BRA) 71-70-70, Kang Kyung-Nam (KOR) 68-70-73
212 – Park Jun-Won (KOR) 70-74-68, Ryu Hyun-Woo (KOR) 73-71-68, Jason Kang (USA) 70-72-70, Kim Kyung-Tae (KOR) 70-72-70, Song Young Han (KOR) 71-70-71, Kwim Wi-Joong (KOR) 71-70-71, Lee Seong-Ho (KOR) 70-69-73
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