Steady Sarit takes two-shot lead into final round of SJM Macao Open
Sarit Suwannarut [main picture] held off the chasing pack to maintain his lead in the SJM Macao Open today, after a third-round four-under-par 66.
He takes a two-shot lead, on 16-under, over Australian Brett Rankin into tomorrow’s final round – here at Macau Golf & Country Club.
Rankin carded a 64, while China’s Wenyi Ding is a stroke back after a 65, with his compatriot Wocheng Ye another shot behind following a 67.
Sarit, chasing his third title on the Asian Tour but first since 2023, started the day with a three-shot lead and that was the gap at the turn.
Playing-partner Rankin caught him with a birdie on the 14th but cool-headed Sarit retaliated with birdies on 16 and 18, while the Australian dropped a shot on 17.
Sarit only made one bogey, on the 10th, and admitted to feeling the pressure of being in contention for the first time in a while.
Brett Rankin.
“I would say some nerves got into me,” said the powerfully built 27-year-old.
“I am pretty excited to play good golf again. I mean, I wanted to really, really play good golf today. And I think I did it pretty well. Yes, think some nerves there.”
He last won on the Asian Tour at the Volvo China Open in 2023, the year after claiming the Indonesia Masters.
He’s been particularly impressive off the tee with his driver and when asked if this is the best he has hit it, he said: “Actually, I’ll say yes, but at the beginning of the year, it’s not like this. It went everywhere, but now, now I kind of get some feeling of it, so I’ll try to stay hitting a good driver tomorrow.”
He’s come into the week off the back of his two best performances of the year: tied ninth in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, followed by a joint 11th place result in the Jakarta International Championship.
“I will try to stay positive as possible tomorrow,” he added. “I try to focus on what I have to do. Try to commit to the shot and hit it and stay aggressive. That’s all I’m going to do tomorrow.”
Rankin, who is playing his first full season on the Asian Tour having successful negotiated qualifying school at the end of last year, is enjoying one of the finest tournaments of his career outside of Australia.
“It was a lot more complete than the first two days,” he said of his round today.
Ding Wenyi.
“I drove the ball great, my iron play was really good today and my wedge game was a lot better than first two days. I played well, so sort of ticking all the boxes at the moment tee to green, on the greens and around the greens. So usually when I’m doing that, I’m shooting good scores.”
He has won once before on the PGA Tour of Australasia, at the NT PGA Championship in 2019.
Added the 39-year-old from Queensland: “The game’s good. I just need to keep doing what I’m doing and just hope to be there on the back nine tomorrow and see what happens. But no, the game’s good, the game is solid, clearly is, I’m 14 under through three rounds, like you can’t fake your way around with that.”
Korean Sungjae Im (63), Ian Snyman (66) from South Africa, and Australian Jack Thompson (67) are next placed five behind the leader, on 11 under.
Hong Kong number one Taichi Kho returned a 67 and is seven under, while American John Catlin, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, who shot a 59 on this course last year, also fired a 67 and is five under, along with defending champion Rattanon Wannasrichan from Thailand, in with a 69.
Pictures by Paul Lakatos/IMG.
Recent Comments