Go wavers, fall 6 shot off in As-Pac tilt

MANILA, Philippines - LJ Go blew what could’ve been a solid card as he stumbled with a bogey and a double-bogey at the finish, settling for a three-under 67 and dropping six strokes behind Chinese Cheng Jin in the third round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Hong Kong yesterday.

Go, who put in a 70 and a 68 in the first two rounds of the annual event featuring the leading and rising players in the As-Pac region, charged back from eight shots down to within four off Cheng with six birdies in the first 13 holes of the par-70 Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club layout. But the ace Filipino shotmaker bogeyed the par-3 16th and dropped two strokes on the difficult par-4 17th to finish with a 31-36 card for a 205 total for joint eighth.

Other five-under total scorers were Aussies Joshua Munn and Tae Koh, who matched Go’s third round output.

Cheng, who seized control with a record 62 in blustery conditions Thursday, fumbled with three bogeys but hit four birdies, including on No. 18 that gave him a 69 and a 199 for a one-stroke lead over Ryan Ruffels and Cameron Davis, also of Australia, who also turned in a pair of 67s for 200s.

Taiwanese Chun-An Yu also made a 67 for a 202 for joint fourth with Korean Tae Ho Kim, who had a 68, while Aussie Antonio Murdaca, the defending champion, shot the day’s best score of 64 to move to solo sixth at 203, four shots off the pace.

Thai Sangchai Keawcharoen also fired a 68 for solo seventh at 204. Rupert Zaragosa, meanwhile, failed to follow-up a second round 68 with a 71  for joint 35th at 211.