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Golf: Kapur returns to the frame
He sunk a brilliant hat-trick of birdies to finish the day with a five-under 67 that saw him climb into the tied 17th place after the penultimate round of the Johnnie Walker Classic.
Shiv Kapur sunk a brilliant hat-trick of birdies to finish the day with a five-under 67 that saw him climb into the tied 17th place after the penultimate round of the $2.3 million Johnnie Walker Classic golf tournament on Saturday.
Kapur, who had first two rounds of 68 and 71, began the third round with a pair of pars and then sealed an eagle, which was followed by a birdie at the Vines Resort and Country Club.
The Indian slotted a birdie on ninth and another on tenth followed by four pars. He then bogeyed the 15th but did not allow the slip-up to affect him as he got into an overdrive and birdied the next three holes to set himself up for a top-10 finish.
Meanwhile, Korea's KJ Choi was still in line to lift the title despite watching American Kevin Stadler soar into a two-shot third round lead with a sensational eagle on the last hole.
The 36-year-old Stadler finished his day on a high note, snaring a three at the par five 18th en route to a six-under-par 66 and a three-day total of 17-under-par 199 on a sweltering day.
Defending champion Adam Scott of Australia slipped six back off the pace after carding a 70.
Kapur was delighted with his finish although not with the bogey on the 15th.
Choi, the overnight leader by two, slipped to joint second place with in-form Australian Richard Green after a mixed bag of 70 which included one eagle, four birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey. Green, third in Dubai last week, charged into contention with a 66.
Asia's other challengers in the event tri-sanctioned by the Asian, European and Australasian Tours produced some fine displays.
Korean Lee Sung-man fired a blistering 64 to move up to 10-under for the tournament, matched by India's Kapur.
Choi, who played alongside Stadler, got out from the blocks with a birdie on his first hole and an eagle on the third before his troubles started to unfold. He dropped his first shot of the day on the fourth and then ran up a double bogey six on the eighth after the misfortunate of having a plugged ball in the greenside trap.
A birdie on 18 lifted Choi's spirits as he attempts to become Asia's first winner of the Johnnie Walker Classic, which was inaugurated in 1990. "Today was a very bad day. The pins were tough and the greens were also getting quick."
