Go slips to 10th despite bogey-free 70 as Thai pulls away

MANILA, Philippines -- Lloyd Go continued to battle a cold putter on Moving Day, carding a bogey-free 70 to slip into a tie for 10th place at the $500,000 IGPL Bharath Classic.

While the frontrunners shifted into high gear at the Mazagan Beach and Golf Resort on Saturday, the rising Filipino star found himself fighting the unpredictable surfaces of the par-72 layout for the third straight day.

After struggling with 30- and 33-putt performances in the first two rounds, Go had hoped to finally unlock the secrets of the Moroccan greens. Instead, the story of his third round was one of missed opportunities. 

Despite superb ball-striking, he repeatedly failed to convert makeable birdie chances, settling for just two birdies on Nos. 7 and 16. His scorecard remained unblemished only because of his stellar scrambling, which included two crucial par-saves courtesy of one-putt exploits.

Go sustained his form from tee to green, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation. Yet, the flatstick refused to cooperate. Unable to find his rhythm, Go turned in a pair of 35s for a 54-hole total of seven-under 209.

Starting the day in a promising share of fifth place, Go’s steady but quiet round caused him to tumble five spots down the leaderboard. He now stood six strokes behind the soaring Settee Prakongvech.

The Thai ace caught fire early, unleashing a spectacular three-birdie binge from No. 5 on his way to a 68 as he broke away from the pack with a commanding 13-under-par 203 total, three strokes clear of Sweden’s Charlie Lindh, who charged into contention with a 67, and overnight co-leader Runchanapong Youprayong, who failed to match his compatriot's fiery pace, stumbling to a 71 to join Lindh at 206.

Despite the immense frustration on the greens, the Cebuano shotmaker is refusing to let his head drop. Go remains optimistic that his strokes and green-reading will finally click for the final 18 holes.

The tournament also serves as a crucial tune-up for Go ahead of this week’s International Series event in Morocco. That high-stakes tournament will be held at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam’s famed Red Course, where Go is set to join fellow Filipino standouts Miguel Tabuena, Justin Quiban and Carl Corpus.

The star-studded field will test the Filipinos against some of the world's elite, including major champion Sergio Garcia of Spain, Korea’s Byeonghun An, and American standout Cameron Tringale.