Kulacz in charge at Brunei Open
BY iseekgolf.com | Asian Tour | 2008 Brunei Open | Round Three | 23 Aug 2008
Australian rookie Rick Kulacz surged into the third round lead at the US$300,000 Brunei Open on Saturday with Asia’s most prolific winner Thaworn Wiratchant and Korea’s Ted Oh snapping at his heels.
Kulacz, playing in his first season on the Asian Tour, fired a flawless four-under-par 67 to snatch a one-shot lead from Thai star Thaworn, who holds a record 10 titles in the region, and overnight leader Oh.
Thaworn dropped a bogey at his last hole for a 66 at a blustery Empire Hotel and Country Club while Oh, bidding for his maiden Asian Tour title, battled to a 71.
Last year’s runner-up Adam Le Vesconte of Australia shot a 67 to move into contention and lie three off the pace alongside compatriot Andrew Dodt (66), Thailand’s Somkiat Srisanga (70) and Chinese Taipei’s Lu Wen-teh (69).
Although the 23-year-old Kulacz is chasing his first win on the Asian Tour, the Australian has previously tasted victory in a professional tournament when he won the 2006 New South Wales Open when he was an amateur.
“It’s good to be leading,” said Kulacz, who was the 2001 world junior champion. “I’m going to have fun tomorrow and see where it takes me. If I play well and win, so be it. If someone else plays better than I do, good on him.”
With winds swirling in the afternoon, Perth-based Kulacz showed his growing maturity with a composed performance. He knocked in five footers for birdies on the second and eighth holes, sank a 10 footer on 13 and then rolled in a 30-foot curler on 16 for his three-day total of 12-under-par 201.
“I just played the percentages well. I didn’t do anything silly out there. I didn’t hit a lot of drivers, just a lot of three woods and two irons to get the ball in play. I took my birdies where I could and didn’t go for the pins. It worked out pretty well,” said the slightly-built Aussie.
The 41-year-old Thaworn, Asia’s number one in 2005, surged into contention with his seven-birdie round. He turned in one under with two birdies against a lone bogey before hitting a birdie trail where he sank five birdies over a run of six holes after making the turn. An errant drive which landed in the jungle at the tough par four 18th saw him drop a second bogey of the round and out of the lead.
“I hit a lot of good tee shots except for the last and my putting came in at the right now. After turning in one under, I didn’t think I could get close to the lead but I started making putts, so I’m quite happy,” said Thaworn, who won his 10th career title at the Bangkok Airways Open earlier this year.
“Anything can happen tomorrow. It doesn’t matter if I’ve won many titles and the others are looking for their first win. If I keep playing well and everything falls into place, I can win the Brunei Open,” said the Thai.
Oh, who led by one stroke at the halfway stage, started strongly with three birdies over his opening five holes but ran into trouble soon after with two bogeys and one double bogey in the middle of his round.
The US-based Korean said he paid the price for being too aggressive playing in tough conditions. “I played terribly. It started to rain and it got windier and I still tried to force it. I was already three under and should have held on to it. I tried to go for the shots in tough conditions and it backfired,” said Oh.
“I still have a chance. But I have to stay patient and play like how I did in the first two days. I made a few mistakes and tried to be too aggressive when I didn’t need to,” said Oh.
Brunei amateur Seruji Setia, who became the first local player to make the halfway cut in the four-year championship, carded 76 to lie in tied 61st place on 215.
Source – Asian Tour
