(MENAFN- Gulf Times) South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen took a grip on the Perth International to hold a three-shot lead into the final round at Lake Karrinyup yesterday.
The world No.21 was seven-under through 15 holes in the European and Asian Tour co-sanctioned tournament and stretched his lead out to five shots.
However back-to-back bogeys brought him back to the field on 15-under 201 ahead of today's final round.
"I think anyone will expect to win, but there's a lot of golf to be played," Oosthuizen said.
"You still need to hit the shots. Around this golf course especially, someone can go out and be three or four-under in the first five holes and it changes everything.
"So I need to play good golf tomorrow, solid golf, give myself a lot of birdie opportunities like I did today, and there's not much more that you can do then."
The South African, who won the 2010 British Open at St. Andrews, is chasing his 13th career win.
He was runner-up at the 2012 Augusta Masters losing at the second play-off hole to American Bubba Watson and also lost in a play-off at last year's British Open. Oosthuizen's nearest rivals in Perth are American overnight leader Peter Uihlein and Frenchman Romain Wattel, both on 12-under 204.
Wattel kept in title contention with a round of seven-under 65, while Uihlein dropped back with a one-under 71.
Uihlein had four birdies and one bogey on the front nine, then had a triple-bogey on the shortest hole on the course - the downhill par-three 12th, with its tight green.
He got two of those shots back on the 14th and 15th holes, then dropped another on the last to finish one-under for the day.
Wattell's round had plenty of merit, given he started the day on five-under and had to deal with the onset of a strengthening sea breeze.
Jason Scrivener was the leading Australian after three rounds and was 11-under 205 after carding a three-under 69.
The other overnight leader Australian Brett Rumford lost ground with a one-over 73 and was in fifth spot on 10-under the card.
Chonburi: First round leader American Lexi Thompson resumed her spot at the front of the pack yesterday after day three of the Honda LPGA in Thailand.
The 21-year-old finished the third round with a nearly perfect 64 at eight under par, giving her a four stroke lead with a 16 under par total of 200.
A victory on Sunday would be Thompson's seventh career win on the LPGA Tour.
It would also make her the first American to win the four-day event, which is held at Siam Country Club in Chonburi and carries a $1.6 million purse.
"I missed a putt on the first hole, which got me down a little bit, but I tried to stay positive going into the next hole and fire at pins like I did the first day," Thompson was quoted on the LPGA website as saying after the round. On Thompson's tail is South Korean rookie In Gee Chun, who carded a bogey-free 66 at six under par for the day.
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