BMW Masters 2015: Saturday Leaderboard Scores and Highlights
Thongchai Jaidee tops an impressive leaderboard at the BMW Masters in Shanghai after Saturday’s play, taking a one-shot lead into what will be a thrilling final day of this prestigious event.
The man from Thailand shot a round of 66 on the day to move to an overall score of 15-under par at the close of Day 3. Also in contention are Byeong-hun An, Sergio Garcia and Lucas Bjerregaard, who are all within touching distance on 14-under par.
Thomas Pieters' stunning nine-under-par round was the joint-lowest score of the day, thrusting him into contention at 11-under overall.
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Here’s the top section of the leaderboard at the conclusion of the third round and a look back at some of the highlights from Saturday’s play at the Lake Malaren Golf Club.
| 1. | Thongchai Jaidee | -15 | 66 |
| T2. | Byeong-hun An | -14 | 66 |
| T2. | Sergio Garcia | -14 | 67 |
| T2. | Lucas Bjerregaard | -14 | 70 |
| 5 | Kristoffer Broberg | -13 | 64 |
| T6. | Henrik Stenson | -12 | 65 |
| T6. | Patrick Reed | -12 | 64 |
| T6. | Ross Fisher | -12 | 67 |
| T6. | Paul Casey | -12 | 68 |
| T6. | Ian Poulter | -12 | 68 |
Full leaderboard is available via the European Tour’s official website.
Jaidee Seizes Top Spot on Moving Day
Bjerregaard was the man to be chased on Day 3 after he built up a three-shot lead on Friday. However, the Dane was only able to post an average round of 70, allowing some of Saturday’s in-form players to move past him on the leaderboard.
The man they will all be eyeing up on Day 4 will be Jaidee, as the Thai continued his superb week with his best round of the tournament so far. Jaidee played with real composure on Saturday, as he shot seven birdies, five coming inside the first eight holes, and one bogey to take a grip on this competition.
As we can see here courtesy of the European Tour’s official Twitter feed, from the off it was clear the seven-time Tour winner was striking the ball very well indeed:
Being hypercritical, Jaidee may feel as though he let a few chances slip on the back nine to build what could have been an insurmountable lead going into the final day. Indeed, dropping a shot at the last after such a strong day will be something of a momentum sapper as he reflects on his efforts.
Given the standard of players likely to be chasing him down on Sunday, it may well be a late lapse the leader comes to regret.
Garcia is definitely the man to keep an eye on. Just as the popular Spaniard’s tournament seemed to be petering out as he rounded the turn, the Ryder Cup star turned on the style in the latter stages. Putts like this helped him to four birdies in five holes between 13 and 17:
Bjerregaard is also only a couple back and has already proven he has what’s required to put together low rounds at Lake Malaren. An is another who is only two shots back and has shown some fine form in recent weeks, taking an impressive fourth place at the Turkish Airlines Open only a fortnight ago; the South Korean will be hoping for much more here, though.
There are plenty of candidates further back in the field to mount a final-day flourish, too. Pieters’ stunning 63 on Saturday, containing 10 birdies and a bogey, proved there are low-scoring opportunities out on this course if players bring their best form.
Kristoffer Broberg, who is well-placed on 13-under after a round of eight-under par, also showed you can make up ground quickly at Lake Malaren, per the European Tour Twitter account:
It makes a winner difficult to predict. Jaidee is an experienced player who has been in this situation on countless occasions. His game has been especially solid all week, and as is evident by this excellent score of 66, he seems to be getting better acquainted with this course’s bespoke challenges as the tournament rumbles on.
Garcia is a man who has momentum at his back after his super finish to the day, and he certainly has the pedigree to keep it together when the pressure bites. A player further down the field always puts together a late charge for glory, though, and as such, Sunday’s action will be a must-watch for golfing fanatics.
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