McIlroy on course for Shanghai prize

Rory McIlroy fired a third-round 65 to open up a three-stroke lead over American Anthony Kim at the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters.

Northern Ireland’s US Open champion stands 18 under par and bang on course for the record £1.25 million winner’s cheque.

McIlroy did not drop a stroke and turned in 32 with birdies at the first, third, seventh and ninth – the hole he double-bogeyed in his second-round 69.

The 22-year-old world No.3 then picked up more shots at the 13th, 15th and 16th.

Kim, who failed to retain his Ryder Cup place last year after undergoing thumb surgery, matched McIlroy’s round, but made his final-day task all the tougher by finishing with a bogey. Twenty-year-old Korean Noh Seung-yul is in third place, but a 67 left him four back and there is then a further three-stroke gap to England’s Ian Poulter, also round in 67.

World No.2 Lee Westwood produced only a 70 and, alongside Australian Geoff Ogilvy in sixth place, is now 11 adrift.

Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie and Paul Casey all disappointed with 73s. Harrington dropped to eighth, Montgomerie to 12th and Casey to 17th in the 30-strong line-up.

Meanwhile, Bo Van Pelt took advantage of some late third-round errors by fellow American Jeff Overton to lead the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic in Malaysia.

A hat-trick of birdies from the 15th gave 36-year-old Van Pelt a four under par 67 and on 16 under he moved one in front.Overton, joint overnight leader with Swede Fredrik Jacobson after a course-record 62 at The Mines, was in control until he fluffed chips on the 14th and 15th.

American Mark Wilson was three behind Van Pelt in joint third in the chase for the $1.3m first prize.

At the Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open in China, Taiwan’s world No.1 Yani Tseng is poised for an incredible 12th win of the year.

The double Women’s British Open champion, still only 22 and with five majors to her name already, birdied four of the last eight holes to go 10 under and takes a three-stroke lead into the final round.

Swede Pernilla Lindberg birdied four of the last five to shoot 65 and move into second place. Scot Kylie Walker was alongside Lindberg with two to play, but a bogey at the short eighth – her 17th – dropped her into a tie for third.