DUBAI, 12 Dec 2014 (AFP) - Shanshan, the highest ranked player in the field, moved to 17-under par for the tournament, five clear of the second-placed Melissa Reid of England, who showed welcome signs of a return to top form after a bogey-free round of seven-under par 65, the best card of the day at the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club on Friday.
England’s 18-year-old Charley Hull, the reigning Order of Merit leader, remained in contention to become the new European number one when she came back strongly from a bogey-triple bogey stretch in the middle of her round to make three birdies in her next six holes for a round of three-under par 69.
Hull was tied for third place at 10-under par along side world number 12 Anna Nordqvist (68) and 2012 European number one Carlota Ciganda (66) of Spain.
Hull is seven shots behind Feng, but she is three shots ahead of France’s Gwladys Nocera, the only player this week who can stop her from winning the Order of Merit crown.
Nocera struggled throughout the day for a 71 and is tied ninth at 209. She needs to finish at least inside the top-four to win the Order of Merit for a second time.
Rookie Nicole Broch Larsen (66) of Denmark and Noora Tamminen (69) of Finland were tied for the sixth place at 207.
Feng, who started with a birdie and made an eagle on the third hole when she struck her second shot to a foot from the pin, made her only bogey of the day when she hit her tee shot into the water on the fourth hole.
"I think I did pretty well," Feng said. "I started very well but I think Charley definitely gave me a lot of pressure for the first 10 holes.
"And then, it was kind of like a very big switch in the next two holes, because I made two‑under and she was actually four-over for those two holes. There was a little more pressure off after that and I played well in the back, too.”
Reid, who hasn’t won a tournament since 2012, was delighted with her brilliant round.
"Yeah, it's been a long time coming,” said the 27-year-old. "I worked actually a week with my coach, Kevin Craggs, at Saadiyat, and I think we just found kind of the missing ingredient. So it was nice to put it into play.
"I played really well yesterday. I think I missed three greens yesterday and then today I think I missed one. So I’m hitting it well. I'm just trying to keep it simple and get the noise out of my head. It's working.”
And Hull was satisfied with her round, despite the triple bogey.
"I’m actually really happy to be honest. I got off to a fast start and I was three‑under through 10 holes, and just lost a little bit of concentration for two holes,” said the world number 38.
"I fought back after making a triple and a bogey with three birdies after that, so I'm really proud of myself for doing that.”
Leading third-round scores in the 500,000 euros Dubai Ladies Masters on Friday at the par-72 Majlis Course of Emirates Golf Club:
199 - Feng Shanshan (CHN) 66-67-66
204 - Melissa Reid (ENG) 70-69-65
206 - Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 69-71-66, Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 69-69-68, Charley Hull (ENG) 67-70-69,
207 - Nicole Broch Larsen (DEN) 71-70-66, Noora Tamminen (FIN) 72-66-69
208 - Caroline Masson (GER) 68-71-69
209 - Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 69-69-71
210 - Malene Jorgensen (DEN) 74-69-67, Liz Young (ENG) 70-71-69, Ashleigh Simon (RSA) 70-71-69, Becky Brewerton (WAL) 67-73-70, Sarah Kemp (AUS) 71-68-71
211 - Thidapa Suwannapur (THA) 71-72-68, Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) 72-70-69, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 73-68-70, Klara Spilkova (CZE) 70-70-71, Pornanong Phatlum (THA) 68-72-71, Cheyenne Woods (USA) 70-69-72
212 - Isabelle Boineau (FRA) 72-72-68, Caroline Hedwall (SWE) 72-71-69, Minjee lee (AUS) 74-68-70,
213 - Amy Boulden (WAL) 70-74-69, Joanna Klatten (FRA) 70-72-71, So-young Lee (KOR) 67-74-72, Whitney Hillier (AUS) 71-69-73, Katie Burnett (USA) 71-69-73