Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia's Kim Leunkwang had an ace to thank for lifting him to the top of the leaderboard where he sits with overnight leader Pannakorn Uthaipas of Thailand in the PGM MIDF ADT Championship yesterday.
Kim closed his round with an even-par 72 as his hole-in-one on the par-three eighth and three birdies made up for his five bogeys at the Kota Seriemas Golf and Country Club.
Pannakorn, meanwhile, managed a 73 after trading three birdies against four bogeys as both carded a three-day total of 12-under 204.
Order of Merit leader Naoki Sekito was two shots off the pair with a 69, while Justin De Los Santos (70), Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (70), Gregory Foo (72) and Airil Zahari (73) were five shots away from the joint-leaders.
Pannakorn, who posted rounds of 66 and 65 on the first two days, could not build on his lead.
He sank his first birdie on the seventh hole, but the back-nine proved his undoing as he made four bogeys on holes 11, 15, 16 and 18. But thankfully for him, birdies on 10 and 17 kept him atop the leaderboard.
"I'm not too worried despite my round today. I am still in the lead," said Pannakorn with a laugh. "My putting was okay, but I will need to hit it better off the tee in the final round. Kim and I are good friends, so we will be talking a lot on the course tomorrow."