Saturday 1 November 2014 11:19, UK
Defending champion Ryan Moore and fellow American Kevin Na both shot 67 to move into the joint lead of the CIMB Classic in Kuala Lumpur on 12-under-par.
Moore had seven birdies and two bogeys while Na had a bogey-free round with five birdies as they both signed for five-under rounds to move into a narrow one-shot lead at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.
Moore, who beat compatriot Gary Woodland in a play-off 12 months ago, said: "It's great deja vu because I am in a similar position to last year. I played good, solid golf the last two days.
"It (the course) challenges every aspect of your game. You have to put it in position off the tee and hit a lot of different shots off hanging lies. It makes you hit golf shots, you can't just go out there and make golf swings."
The duo are one ahead of overnight leader Billy Hurley III and Sergio Garcia – the highest-ranked player in the field for the co-sanctioned PGA and Asian Tour event.
Hurley slipped out of the lead as he could only muster a one-under round of 71, while Garcia showed his scrambling skills, on the back nine especially, during an eventful round of 68.
Garcia held the outright lead when he followed a flawless front nine of 32 with his fifth birdie of the day on the 10th, but dropped his only shot of the day on the next and did well to salvage a par on the 14th after trying to drive the green and coming up short in the water.
"It's unfortunate I didn't feel quite as sharp as the first two days," Garcia said. "It got to be a long day with the weather delay but the good thing is we got done and I am looking forward to tomorrow.
"On 14 I just missed it a little bit and the wind switched on me but I made a great four which kept the round going."
Lee Westwood, who fired a hole-in-one on the 11th in a second round of 65, was looking to complete a unique double by winning on the PGA Tour and European Tour on the same course in the same season following his Malaysian Open victory in April.
However, after three birdies in the first five holes on Saturday the former world number one bogeyed the sixth and then struggled home in 40 to card a disappointing 74. At five-under-par, the 41-year-old had drifted seven shots off the pace.
Only a bogey on the 18th spoiled an otherwise superb round from Gary Woodland, who carded seven birdies in his six-under round of 66 to sit in a tie for fifth on nine-under.
Woodland is joined by American duo Kevin Chappell and Kevin Streelman alongside South Korean Sang-Moon Bae, who hit a four-under 68 to climb up the leaderboard.
