Seongnam: Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond will have an outstanding opportunity to claim his first title in three years today after he finished in share of the third-round lead at the Maekyung Open yesterday.
The 29-year-old, a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour and the Order of Merit champion in 2019, carded a battling three-under-par 68 at the Namseoul Country Club.
He shares the lead with Kim Baek-Jun from South Korea, who emerged from a tightly packed leaderboard brimming with talent, after firing a 66. Kim won the opening event of the season on the Korean PGA Tour last month.
The leading duo are eight under for tournament -- which is considered to be one of Korea's majors and is the fifth stop of the year on the Asian Tour.
Canada's Yonggu Shin (68) and Korean Lee Hyung-Joon (71), the second-round leader, are one stroke back in joint third.
Zimbabwe's Scott Vincent -- another Asian Tour star looking for his first victory since 2022 -- is a shot further back after shooting a 68. He is in solo fifth place and one ahead of Thailand's Sarit Suwannarut, who returned a 69.
Jazz bravely holed a six footer for par on 18 to ensure he starts today in front.
Said the Thai: "Grinding, I hit it everywhere today. Got up and down from most places, missed out on a couple. But overall, I just feel like everything that I've done up to this point, the one thing that kind of keep me alive is scrambling, which is good, that's what you need here."
Should he win today it would also be his second significant victory in the Land of Morning Calm, having claimed the Korea Open in 2019 -- the year he won on four occasions.
A couple of brilliant saves were the highlight of his round. He made an incredible yet unconventional four on the par-five fourth. He found trouble left off the tee and had to take a drop; played a recovery back into the fairway; then holed his next shot from 64 yards for a birdie. Later, on the 10th he made another unexpected save. Once again he drove his ball left into trees, chipped his ball back into the fairway and scrambled a par four.