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Smith edges ahead Down Under

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Marc Leishman y Cameron Smith. © Getty Images
Marc Leishman y Cameron Smith. © Getty Images

Defending champion Cameron Smith will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Australian PGA Championship after posting a flawless round of 67 at RACV Royal Pines Resort.

The home favourite had been brilliant on day two as he recorded the lowest round of the week with a 65 and he continued that form on Saturday, going bogey-free to get to 14 under and lead the way from ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf team-mate Marc Leishman.

The World Number 21 carded an impressive 69 to sit four shots clear of countryman Matthew Millar and 2017 champion Harold Varner III as the second event of the 2019 European Tour season looked to be developing into a two-horse race.

A victory for Smith would make him the first player to win this title in back-to-back years since Robert Allenby in 2000 and 2001, while Leishman is also looking for a second European Tour title but a first on the PGA Tour of Australasia.

Home favourites Braden Becker, Ben Eccles and Matt Jager were eight shots off the lead, one clear of Jake McLeod – who currently leads the PGA of Australasia Order of Merit – and countrymen Nick Flanagan, Mathew Goggin and Dimitrios Papadatos, and South Korea’s Jaewoong Eom.

Player Quotes

Cameron Smith: “The last year I’ve been playing some really good golf. Probably over the last three days has been some of the best golf I think I’ve played both mentally and pulling off the shots. I’m feeling really confident and looking forward to tomorrow.

“I did a really good job today when I was out of position, just taking less risks and putting myself into the centre of the greens and taking a par. It’s what you have to do around here.

“There’s plenty of birdie opportunities out there and that’s what you have to realise and I did a good job of that.

“That’s the position you want to be in every week. You want to play against the best players in the world and Leish is one of those guys, so I’m looking forward to a good battle tomorrow with Leish.  I’m sure we’ll have much the same out there tomorrow.”

Marc Leishman: “That’s the best I’ve played all week and the worst score. A couple of bad breaks and a few putts where I hit good putts and they didn’t go in, which happens occasionally.

“I’m happy with the day. It puts me a few more back than I would like to be but it’s going to be tough tomorrow. I hear the wind is going to get up so that gives me a bit more of a chance.

“It’s important for me tomorrow to put a bit of pressure on him early and make him think about it and be there or thereabouts with a few holes to go, hopefully.”

Round Three Scores

202 C Smith (Aus) 70 65 67,
205 M Leishman (Aus) 68 68 69,
209 H Varner Iii (USA) 69 69 71, M Millar (Aus) 72 70 67,
210 B Eccles (Aus) 70 71 69, M Jager (Aus) 66 71 73, B Becker (Aus) 70 73 67,
211 N Flanagan (Aus) 69 73 69, M Goggin (Aus) 68 72 71, J McLeod (Aus) 66 70 75, J Eom (Kor) 67 74 70, D Papadatos (Aus) 67 70 74,
212 A Johnston (Eng) 70 69 73, R Gibson (Aus) 72 70 70, N Taylor (Can) 74 68 70, D McKenzie (Aus) 73 69 70, A Cockerill (Can) 72 69 71, M Stieger (Aus) 74 69 69, T Merritt (USA) 71 71 70,
213 D Beck (Aus) 73 71 69, T Murray (Eng) 69 73 71, P Senior (Aus) 72 70 71, C Ross (Sco) 71 72 70, T Stewart (Aus) 70 74 69, R Fox (Nzl) 69 75 69, S Brazel (Aus) 70 71 72, C Wood (Aus) 71 66 76, D Fox (Aus) 73 69 71, D Gale (Aus) 70 74 69, H Endycott (Aus) 70 72 71, R Allenby (Aus) 70 70 73,
214 J Morrison (Eng) 69 75 70, D Klein (Aus) 68 74 72, R Pampling (Aus) 74 69 71, R McGowan (Eng) 71 73 70, A Knappe (Ger) 70 74 70, J Felton (Aus) 69 73 72, J Thomson (Eng) 72 71 71, A Quayle (Aus) 70 69 75,
215 T Pilkadaris (Aus) 69 74 72, S Hawkes (Aus) 70 73 72, J Scrivener (Aus) 68 73 74, Z Murray (Aus) 70 74 71, G Paddison (Nzl) 70 72 73, O Farr (Wal) 71 69 75, S Crocker (USA) 73 71 71,
216 D Bransdon (Aus) 71 68 77, H Joannes (Bel) 72 72 72, D Huizing (Ned) 73 69 74, J Geary (Nzl) 72 71 73, R Paratore (Ita) 73 70 73, A Edge (Aus) 73 70 73, J Zunic (Aus) 70 72 74, R Gouveia (Por) 69 74 73, D Jordan (Aus) 69 73 74,
217 A Wilkin (Aus) 73 69 75, M McCardle (Aus) 76 68 73, M Griffin (Aus) 72 71 74, G Bhullar (Ind) 69 70 78,
218 F Droop (Aus) 73 69 76, A Connelly (Can) 72 71 75, R Evans (Eng) 72 72 74, A Hall (Aus) 70 74 74, M Wright (Aus) 72 70 76, J Munro (Aus) 73 71 74, B Proverbs (Aus) 71 72 75,
220 S Allan (Aus) 70 73 77, P Hayden (Aus) 72 67 81,
222 P Cooke (Aus) 73 69 80, M Brown (Nzl) 71 73 78,
225 J Norris (Aus) 70 74 81,
145 J Lee (Aus) 73 72 0, C John (Aus) 70 75 0, C Luck (Aus) 69 76 0, R Sondjaja (Aus) 72 73 0, B Clementson (Aus) 75 70 0, W Ormsby (Aus) 72 73 0, N Green (Aus) 73 72 0, D Lawson (Aus) 76 69 0, M Nixon (Eng) 72 73 0, A Pike (Aus) 72 73 0, A Burdett (Aus) 73 72 0, H Sturehed (Swe) 72 73 0, S Jeffress (Aus) 69 76 0, A Townsend (Aus) 73 72 0, G Green (Mas) 71 74 0, A Bland (Aus) 70 75 0,
146 R Green (Aus) 71 75 0, J Nitties (Aus) 74 72 0, D Smail (Nzl) 75 71 0, G Ogilvy (Aus) 73 73 0, J Younger (Aus) 74 72 0, R Lynch (Aus) 73 73 0, Y Yuan (Chn) 70 76 0, A Otaegui (Esp) 68 78 0, M Kim (Kor) 72 74 0, P O’Malley (Aus) 73 73 0, D Williamson (Aus) 71 75 0, A Price (Aus) 69 77 0, K Muir (Nzl) 73 73 0, B Moules (Aus) 70 76 0, D Stewart (Sco) 73 73 0,
147 C Davis (Aus) 75 72 0, J Mullaney (Aus) 77 70 0, M Hendry (Nzl) 74 73 0, S Laycock (Aus) 73 74 0, J Higginbottom (Aus) 73 74 0, G Chalmers (Aus) 73 74 0, J Marchesani (Aus) 74 73 0,
148 S Lee (Fij) 73 75 0, D Nisbet (Aus) 75 73 0, K Pratt (Aus) 74 74 0, R Chisnall (Nzl) 70 78 0, P Maddy (Eng) 70 78 0, M Brown (Aus) 73 75 0, T Macdonald (Aus) 71 77 0, H Ellis (Eng) 74 74 0, T Hart (Aus) 75 73 0, S Hend (Aus) 76 72 0, Z Chen (Chn) 73 75 0, R Macintyre (Sco) 74 74 0, A Blyth (Aus) 70 78 0,
149 D Boote (Wal) 72 77 0, L Herbert (Aus) 80 69 0, R Kulacz (Aus) 75 74 0, D Gavins (Eng) 73 76 0, J Senior (Eng) 71 78 0, E Ferguson (Sco) 76 73 0, N Cullen (Aus) 76 73 0, A Marchesani (Aus) 76 73 0,
150 M Lisk (Aus) 75 75 0, M Hoey (Nir) 78 72 0, J Senden (Aus) 72 78 0, M Perry (Nzl) 77 73 0,
151 C Duke (Aus) 75 76 0, D Pearce (Nzl) 74 77 0, C Sharvin (Nir) 78 73 0,
152 D Brandt-Richards (Aus) 76 76 0, D Cooke (USA) 73 79 0, M Iten (Sui) 74 78 0, R Bourke (Aus) 74 78 0, J Wilson (Aus) 77 75 0, B Rankin (Aus) 75 77 0,
153 M Fraser (Aus) 80 73 0, A Stephens (Aus) 77 76 0, M Guyatt (Aus) 76 77 0, C Syme (Sco) 77 76 0,
154 G Twyman (Eng) 77 77 0, C Rawson (Nzl) 76 78 0, C Crawford (Aus) 76 78 0, J Anstiss (Nzl) 76 78 0, P Wilson (Aus) 74 80 0,
155 R Dawson (Irl) 80 75 0,
157 C Berardo (Fra) 80 77 0,
168 A Murdaca (Aus) 84 84 0,
** T Moses (Aus) 82 WD 0,