Kyungnam Kang’s 20 years of experience in the professional game are starting to show in the punishing Final Stage of the Asian Tour Qualifying School.

The 41-year-old Korean drained a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18^th hole soon after an eagle on 15, on the A and B course, at Lake View Resort and Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand, to open up a three-shot lead after the third round.

He fired a six-under-par 65 to sit at 16-under with two rounds remaining in the school – which after Saturday’s final round will see the top 35 earn Tour cards for 2025.

American Christopher Hickman (65) plus Japan’s Takumi Murakami (66) and Taiki Yoshida (67) are tied for second, with India’s Ajeetesh Sandhu (68) and second-round leader Australian Jack Thompson (70) a shot further back.

Takumi Murakami. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

They will play the more difficult C and D nines tomorrow, when the top 70 and ties will make the second and final cut of the week.

Kang is a serial winner in Korea, with 11 domestic titles – the most recent coming in 2021 – and has opted to play on home soil for most of his career.

However, the lure of the Asian Tour and its blossoming International Series has brought him to the Tour’s school for only the second time in his career.

He said: “International Series can get you onto LIV Golf – I feel now is my best chance.”

With three top 15s in the Asian Tour events played in Korea this season, including equal third in the Kolon Korea Open, and an eighth-place finish on the money list in Korea, you can understand why he has made the trip south.

In fact, the last time he played an Asian Tour event outside of Korea was the Malaysian Open in 2020.

Taiki Yoshida. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Thompson, winner of the school two years ago on the same course and a firm favourite to make it through this week, said: “Not as good today, just one under, but in good shape.”

Lying in a tie for seventh five off top spot are Australia’s Lawry Flynn (65), Yosuke Asaji (67) from Japan, and Korean Doyeob Mun (70).

Australian Jordan Zunic helped his chances of making it through the week with a card in hand by acing the par-three 14^th using a five iron. He’s six under in a tie for 30^th following a 67.

Notable players with work to do tomorrow in order be around for Saturday are Scotland’s Marc Warren, American Berry Henson, England’s Sam Broadhurst – son of former Ryder Cup star Paul Broadhurst – Spain’s Alejandro Canizares, son of another Ryder Cup hero, Jose-Maria Canizares, and American Jason Knutzon, who are all two under and in a tie for 76^th.

For the final round on Saturday the A and B nines will be used; the easier track but with the pressure reaching its peak.