Wools-Cobb two ahead on Asian Tour in New Zealand
Second round leader, fellow Australian Chris Wood is in second place
Shae Wools-Cobb (Aus) shot a third round 65 to be on top of the leaderboard with a two shot lead at 17 under in the NZ$1.52 million New Zealand Open presented by SKY SPORT on the Asian Tour.
After the 36 hole cut the final two rounds are played over the Coronet Course at Millbrook Golf Resort.
The leader was out in just 30 shots and came home in 35.
His third round was bettered only by Brendan Jones' (Aus) brilliant 62 and gives Wools-Cobb his best chance at a breakthrough professional victory.
Second round leader, fellow Australian Chris Wood (68), is in second place with Japan's Terumichi Kakazu (66) outright third at 14 under.
The experienced Australian trio of Jones, Scott Hend (68) and Rhein Gibson (66) are looming in a share of fourth, four strokes off the lead at 13 under.
Boasting three top-five finishes in the past two seasons on the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Kingaroy-born 27 year-old Wools-Cobb was sublime in the middle part of his round.
‘I've really been working on pre-shot routine, trying to stick to that. That got me through today. When I wasn't feeling too good over a few shots it really got me through,’ said Wools-Cobb.
Out in the eighth group of the day after making the cut on the number, Jones shrugged off Queenstown's cool, drizzly morning to set the course alight.
A par save from 15 feet on two kicked Jones into gear, who celebrated his 48th birthday on Friday.
He made birdies on three, four and eight but it was the back nine where he surged up the leaderboard.
He picked up shots at 10, 12, 13, 15, 17 and 18 in a bogey free 62 that resembled practice rounds earlier in the week.
‘Teeing off early, I had the opportunity and if I could replicate some of the practice rounds and the couple of tournament rounds of a couple of weeks ago then I could shoot a good score,’ said Jones, who was tied for fifth at TPS Sydney a fortnight ago in his first start for 2023.
‘That whole back nine I was pretty much hitting it exactly where I wanted to hit it and gave myself chances on every hole.’
This week’s event is joint sanctioned with the PGA Tour of Australasia, in partnership with the Japan Golf Tour.
Third Round Leaders (Par 71, 6,936 Yards)
1 - S. Wools-Cobb (Aus) 67, 64, 65 (-17)
2 - C. Wood (Aus) 61, 69, 68 (-15)
3 - T. Kakuza (Japan) 67, 66, 66 (-14)
4 - B. Jones (Aus) 69, 69, 62 (-13)
- R. Gibson (Aus) 67, 67, 66 (-13)
- S. Hend (Aus) 68, 64, 68 (-13)