QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand; March 2, 2013 (HK Golfer News Wire) - Toshinori Muto, Japan’s fourth-highest ranked golfer, carded a 69 at The Hills to move to 10-under and share seventh spot with 23-year-old Vietnamese Michael Tran (68) as Asian players made their move in the PGA Tour of Australasia event.
Angelo Que of the Philippines, a three-time Asian Tour winner, moved up to five-under after he birdied the last four holes for a 68, ending a lively round that included eight birdies, two bogeys and a double.
Hong Soon-sang, third on the 2011 Korean Tour money list, joined Que in a share of 31st place after a 73, while fellow Korean Kang Dong-woo is two-over after a 75.
Blizard, Li’s playing partner in the first two rounds, shot a 66 to go 15-under, one ahead of defending champion Michael Hendry (68), New Zealand’s number one.
Li shot a career-low 65 in the second round and signed another bogey-free card on Saturday as he continued his love affair with ‘Down Under’, having finished 18th in January’s Lexus of Blackburn Heritage Classic on the PGA Tour of Australasia.
Li birdied holes two, four, five and seven on the front nine, and picked up further shots on 11 and 15. However, after securing an eagle and two birdies on the par-fives on Friday, the Beijing-born national team player didn’t take advantage of any of the long holes, edging the cup with a five-foot birdie putt on 18.
"I made seven-under on Friday, which was a surprise, and today was also good," Li said. "My putting is very good and I’m driving well. I’m really enjoying New Zealand, so I believe I can keep going. I’ll just play my own game on Sunday and try my best to score well again."
The event adopts a pro-am format over the weekend and Li is partnering former New Zealand rugby international Jeff Wilson, who scored 44 tries in 60 games for the All Blacks.
"I heard that Jeff Wilson is a famous rugby star in New Zealand," said Li, who won the Volvo China Junior Championship in 2010, four years after picking up the game.
"When we teed off on hole one, I asked him how he became so strong, why his arms are so big, especially because I’m so slim. I really liked playing with him. It was very relaxed, so I enjoyed the round."
Li has competed in several OneAsia events in the past two years as well as qualifying events for the PGA Tour and Japan Tour, reaching the final stage of the latter.
His compatriots Zhang Xinjun, Han Ren and Huang Wenyi all missed the cut on Friday.
Muto, who won his fifth Japan Tour title at last year’s Kansai Open, is hopeful of continuing his solid form after rounds of 68, 69 and 69.
Lydia Ko, the 15-year-old top-ranked women’s amateur, and 76-year-old Sir Bob Charles, the 1963 Open Championship winner, are among sporting celebrities paired up with the pros over the weekend.
Other big names include cricket legend Sir Ian Botham, Australian George Gregan, rugby union’s most-capped international, and his long-time rugby rival and good friend Justin Marshall, New Zealand’s most-capped scrumhalf.
The event is building on the success of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on the US PGA Tour and The European Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.