CLOSING THE GAP: Iain Steel  watches his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the PGM Swiss Garden Closed Championship at Damai Laut Golf & Country Club. He shot a 66 to move into second place. Picture by AREP KULAL/PGM Tour
CLOSING THE GAP: Iain Steel watches his tee shot on the second hole during the third round of the PGM Swiss Garden Closed Championship at Damai Laut Golf & Country Club. He shot a 66 to move into second place. Picture by AREP KULAL/PGM Tour

KEMAROL BAHARIN retained his lead after the third round of the PGM Tour’s Swiss Garden Closed Championships at Damai Laut Golf & Country Club in Lumut, Perak today. He shot an even-par 72 for a five-under 211 total.

There was also drama when Iain Steel and Airil Rizman returned with 66s that equalled the course record, set by Singapore’s Lam Chi Bing in an unofficial pro tournament.

Steel, who has a career low round of 10-under 62 achieved on the then US Nationwide Tour in the early 2000s, climbed into second place with a bogey-free performance that had six birdies and left him just a stroke off the top spot.

Hans Jamil, the first round leader, is second after shooting a two-under 70.

Airil moved into a tie for 14th place – his six-under round coming on the heels of an 84 on the opening day and a 75 in the second round. He finished on nine-over 225.

In joint fourth place and six strokes off the lead was R Nachimuthu, who managed 71 for a 217, and S Murthy, who kept his slight title hopes alive with an even-par round.

Leading third round scores
211: Kemarol Baharin 72-67-72
212: Iain Steel 72-74-66, Hans Jamil 69-73-70
217: R. Nachimuthu 74-72-71, S. Murthy 70-75-72
218: Md Rashid Ismail 70-75-73
219: Shaaban Hussin 72-74-73

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