|
 The two-time European Tour winner was out for eights months with
a hand injury and showed little signs of any rustiness, firing four
birdies in his closing six holes for a three-day total of 11-under
199 at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
Fellow Australian Scott Hend carded a 67 to lie a stroke behind
while Filipino Angelo Que (67), South Africa's Jbe Kruger (66) and
Englishman Mark Foster (66) were tied for the third place on
nine-under.
"Nobody's more surprised than I am that's for sure," Fraser, 36,
said after the penultimate round of the co-sanctioned European and
Asian Tour event.
"After eight months of sitting on the couch – it hasn't been the
best eight months but when you play like that it makes it
worthwhile.
"Practice last week felt really good so I felt like I was heading in
the right direction, finally, after I started practicing six or
seven weeks ago."
Fraser, who won the Asian Tour and European Tour sanctioned 2010
Ballantine's Championship in Korea, opened his round with a bogey
but climbed up the leaderboard with six birdies.
"To come and play the way I did on the back nine today was pretty
pleasing," Fraser added. "I had no idea going into the week and I've
no idea going into tomorrow.
[to top of second column] |
"Hopefully I'll keep playing the way I'm playing and I feel pretty
comfortable out there at the moment."
Four-times major winner Ernie Els of South Africa surrendered his
overnight two-shot lead after a rollercoaster round of 71 in which
he mixed an eagle and two birdies with three dropped shots and a
double-bogey on the ninth hole to lie tied sixth.
"It was a little hectic, especially the ninth hole," Els said. "I
tried a couple of things and they didn't come off but I don't see
there's any reason not to still go for it.
"I need something low obviously, but I'd like to go really low just
for my own wishes."
(Writing by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
