Damien McGrane opens a three shot lead

Ireland’s Damien McGrane will take a three-stroke lead into the final day of the China Open after firing a four-under-par 68 on Saturday.

McGrane holed seven birdies including a chip in on the third and back-to-back successes on the 17th and 18th to pull clear of overnight leader Michael Lorenzo-Vera of France and Briton Oliver Wilson.

“It is nice to go out as leader and a little cushion is good. But it is a tough course and I must play my own game, focus on what I am doing,” McGrane, 37 last week, told reporters.

The Irishman needed only nine putts on the back nine, including a 40-foot birdie putt on the 11th, to compile an 11-under total of 205.

“I did a lot of good up and downs in the back nine and had two nice birdies to finish. I have been doing that all week. The course demands a lot of good putting,” McGrane said, hoping to clinch his first European tour victory.

Others at the top of the leaderboard struggled to improve their scores amid swirling cross-breezes at the par-72 course.

Britain’s Richard Finch, joint-second after day two, fell eight strokes adrift on 213 after posting a bogey-littered four-over 76.

Lorenzo-Vera, who admitted to being nervous at holding the lead on Friday, struggled with his approach shots in an even-par round of 72.

“I missed a few shots. These greens, if you miss a few shots, you are in trouble. I didn’t play enough good shots today but there’s still tomorrow so we’ll see what happens,” the Frenchman said.

Lorenzo-Vera was joined by Wilson at eight-under, the Briton recovering from two dropped shots over the back nine to birdie the last hole.

Australia’s Scott Strange, joint runner-up at last month’s Johnnie Walker Classic in New Delhi, rose to outright third on 210 after sinking five birdies in his last nine holes on the way to a bogey-free 66.

Asian Tour money list leader Mark Brown of New Zealand is one further adrift on 211 after a three-under 69.