Kim Felton leads Victorian Open
IN: News | Von Nida | Victorian Open (2007) | Round Three | 03 Feb 2007
Western Australian professional Kim Felton will take a two-stroke lead into final round of the 2007 Vic Open being played at the Woodlands Golf Club following the completion of the third round today.
Felton withstood strong southerly sea breezes during the afternoon to return a third round 68 for a 54-hole total of nine-under 207.
Chasing his first Australian title since the 2004 Cairns Classic, he leads from rookie Victorian professional Marc Leishman.
The leading money winner on the Von Nida Tour in 2006, Leishman returned a steady round of 70 to be seven-under for the Championship.
A group of four players trail by a further two-strokes at five-under including Queensland's Andrew Bonhomme who had the joint best score of the day with a 68.
Felton made early birdies at the 2nd, 3rd and 4th before dropping strokes at the 5th and par-five 6th. However a superb iron to within three metres of the hole at the ninth and a sound putt saw the 1997 Australian Amateur Champion go out in two-under 34.
With his confidence restored after recent work with coach David Milne, Felton cruised around the back nine in two-under par with further birdies on the 11th, 13th and 15th and a solitary bogey at the short par four 12th.
Preparing for another year on the Nationwide Tour in the United States, 31-year-old Felton is using the Victorian Open as part of his preparation for the forthcoming co-sanctioned events to be played in South Australia and New Zealand.
"It's the first time I've played here and the course is great. You wouldn't find greens any better than these anywhere", he commented.
A winner of the Knoxville Open in 2005, he suffered from a combination of injury and poor form for a large part of 2006 finishing 81st on the money list.
However after a productive Christmas break working on his game in Perth, he feels prepared to withstand the final day challenges.
"David has been my coach since I was 11. I'm now singing well enough to get it around and post a score. It just depends if anyone else can go lower".
The sea of sub-par red numbers that prevailed early in the third round washed away as the field battled the testing wind. Just 12 players from the field of 54 broke par.
Overnight leader Peter Fowler started well but fell away badly in the middle of his round. The 47-year-old's third round of 76 leaves him at two-under 214 and seven strokes from the lead.
The battle for leading amateur honours sees Victorian State Team member Josh Younger and Rick Kulacz from Western Australia tied on one-under 215 after three rounds.
The final member of the amateur threesome to make the cut, Victorian Colts representative Quinton Howe returned a 73 to trail by one stroke on even par 216.
Source - Von Nida Tour
