Lu Cruises into Lead
Taiwan’s Lu Chien-soon rolled back the years to take the lead in the US$60,000 Mercedes-Benz Masters Malaysia today at Saujana Golf and Country Club.
The 50 year old, who won the Asian Tour Order of Merit title in 1983 and 1989, fired a two-under-par 70 for a one stroke lead over Filipino Marvin Dumandan.
Dumandan returned a 67 and lies a stroke ahead of compatriots Antonio Lascuna and Mars Pucay.
Malaysia’s Shaifubari Muda, the second round leader, had a poor day and fell eight behind Lu after shooting a 79.
Lu, who only started playing again this year following an eight year lay-off due to back problems, raced into a healthy lead following a brilliant front nine of five-under-par 31 on the Palm Course.
He looked on track to practically seal victory on the third day when he moved six strokes ahead. However, he was brought back to earth with a bump when he quadruple bogeyed the par-four 15th, where he lost a ball off the tee.
The Taiwanese golfer finished with a three-round aggregate of 10-under-par 206.
“Nevermind. No problem. Tomorrow I will go out and attack the course again. I feel I can win,” said the confident Lu, who shot eight birdies and two bogeys.
During his day Lu won the national Opens of India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore.
Disk and nerve problems with his back forced him to stop playing tournaments in 2001 and he says he treated it with herbal medicine and wine as opposed to surgery.
He turned 50 last December and returned to tournament golf this year with an eye on entering the Champions Tour Qualifying School.
His comeback has been impressive as he has triumphed twice in Taiwan this season and narrowly lost to Singaporean Lam Chih Bing in a play-off for last week’s Salcon Negri Masters.
Dumandan, who is looking for his first win on the Mercedes-Benz Tour having come close several times before, closed the gap on Lu by making birdie on 17 and 18.
A host of top players have a chance of winning tomorrow. Lam carded a 68 and is four behind while a stroke further back are Malaysians Iain Steel and S. Siva Chandran, who returned rounds of 69 and 71 respectively.
Leading third round scores:
Par 72
206 - Lu Chien-soon (TWN) 68-68-70
207 - Marvin Dumandan (TWN) 68-72-67
208 - Antonio Lascuna (PHI) 72-66-70, Mars PUCAY (PHL) 68-70-70
210 - Lam Chih Bing (SIN) 71-71-68
211 - Iain Steel (MAS) 70-72-69, S. Siva Chandran (MAS) 67-73-71, Arie Fauzi (am) (MAS) 73-67-71
212 - Andik Mauluddin (INA) 73-68-71
213 - Steven Tan (MAS) 69-70-74
214 - Danny Chia (MAS) 74-71-69, Shaifubari Muda (MAS) 67-68-79
215 - Jay Bayron (PHI) 76-68-71, Udorn Duangdecha (THA) 72-71-72, Anis Helmi Hassan (MAS) 70-72-73
216 - Chaiput Darapanich (THA) 73-70-73, Wisut Artjanawat (THA) 74-73-69, S. Murthy (MAS) 74-73-69
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