Welshman David Park and Lucas Parsons of Australia will take a two shot advantage over the field into the final round of the Greg Norman Holden International at The Lakes GC, Sydney, Australia.
Parsons, 30, who won twice on the Challenge Tour in 1999 to graduate to the main European Tour, used his substantial local knowledge to help him move into a tie for the lead in Australia’s richest tournament.
The man from Orange in New South Wales, lives only a ten minute car journey away from the course – and he employed that knowledge to steer a route round The Lakes in a three under par 70 for a 13 under par total of 206.
Park, meanwhile, had gone into the third day sharing top spot with Scotland’s Andrew Coltart, and he proceeded to establish then lose a four-shot lead over his challengers. Two ahead overnight, Park doubled his advantage over the first eight holes of his third round.
But in a strengthening wind the 25-year-old from Hereford could not hold on to his position and he finished level with Parsons. Park shot a level par 73, while Parsons sank a 40-foot birdie putt on the last for his 70 to lie for the lead with a group of four players two shots further behind.
Parsons said: “The key to my round was that I only had one bogey. To do that out there is basically what you have to do to put together a score.”
Park, second and first in his debut on the European Tour last year, had difficulties in temperatures which reached 100 degrees in Sydney.
He birdied the second and eighth to draw clear of the field but he limped home and was content still to be in a share of pole position. He commented: “I was struggling with sweaty hands and I didn’t play great to be honest. I struggled a bit in all areas. I am a little surprised I am still in the lead but we’ll just have to see what happens tomorrow.”
Ryder Cup player Coltart, second at halfway, could also manage only a 73 and so fell back into a tie for third spot with Masters champion José Maria Olazábal and two more home players, Peter Senior and Wayne Smith. Olazábal celebrated his 34th birthday with a seven-under 66, while Smith shot 67 and Senior 71.
Coltart, who had to wait until the 14th for his first birdie, commented: "I made a couple of silly mistakes and played only average. But the wind was tricky and my position is still good. This is only my second tournament back after a lay-off and while you peg it up every week believing you are capable of winning, there is an element of trying to find your game as well."
Olazábal, who missed the cut the previous week in Perth, made his move with five successive birdies from the seventh. He then made it seven in eight holes and, after a bogey at the 16th - he also called that "silly" - two-putted the 17th for another.
He remarked: "After six holes everything looked quite grey, but then it changed and it's been a nice birthday," he said. "My iron play this week has not been all that great, but it's certainly improved on last week and today I made some putts."
English trio Gary Evans, Ian Garbutt and David Carter are all sharing 10th place at eight under, Evans and Garbutt after rounds of 69 and Carter following a 70.
