Former 2003 New Zealand Open winner, Mahal Pearce, largely unsighted in major competition since that day, rocketed up the leaderboard of the prestigious BMW Asian Open in Shanghai yesterday.
Pearce, a 31-year-old whose best finish so far this season has been tied for 33rd at the Indonesian Open in Jakarta,
shot the day's best round of 68 in difficult conditions at a tough golf course to wind up tied for third at four under. With many of the other golfers struggling in pursuit of the €1.5m purse (with €248,000 going to the winner), Pearce hit three birdies on the outward nine and another three coming home - only to stumble with a bogey at the par-four 14th - a hole which has tripped him up and cost him a bogey on each of the three days of the tournament.
He then bogeyed the par-five 18th but had that in common with many of the field as a cold wind and damp conditions took their toll on the scoring.
Prior to that, Pearce had birdied four of the previous eight holes and looked as if he would sprint to the top of the leaderboard. As it is, he is four under, just two strokes behind Henrik Stenson of Sweden and Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who confirmed recent good form with a 69, to be five-under par.
Stenson is looking very strong. The Swede propelled himself up the world rankings with a fine season last year and, after an ordinary showing in last week's tournament in China, is in determined mood. He is one of the longest hitters in the field and his power and some canny iron play have kept him at the head of the field for all three rounds so far.
Also registering a 69 today were defending champion Paul Casey, of England, and Australia's Peter O'Malley going into tonight's final round. Casey is mustering a challenge at the right time, while O'Malley has been in convincing form recently.
Scotland's Paul Lawrie, a previous winner of the British Open, shaped as a contender before a string of bogeys cut him back to three-under par and tied for sixth.
