Go grinds to keep bid for Masters, Open alive

SINGAPORE – Lloyd Jefferson Go’s patient grinding on an unforgiving course kept him in the title hunt, shooting a one-under-par 69 Saturday to stay within a shot of solo leader Yuxin Lin of China in the penultimate round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship here.

As his misadventures on eighth hole of the New Tanjong course of the Sentosa Golf Club continued with a double-bogey after hitting his tee-shot out-of-bounds, Go got the good breaks on the other holes and even the weather.

The 23-year-old Go used an almost two-hour long lightning delay to relax after an intense shootout with his flightmates on the first 13 holes where he fell behind by as many as four strokes. And when play resumed, the Seton Hall alumnus playing what is supposed to be his farewell event as an amateur made a much-needed birdie that turned things around for his championship bid.

“I just tried to stay patient out there, it’s something you need to do in this kind of course because it’s easier to make a bogey than a birdie,” said Go who will play in the final pairing today with defendiong champion Lin and Takumi Kanaya of Japan.

Lin, 17, burned the course with seven birdies on the first 11 holes and went on to shoot a 62 for a 54-hole total of 200 just a shade ahead of Go who is at 201 following his third straight sub-par round. Kanaya had a flawless 64 for a share of third with another Japanese Keita Nakajima (67) and K.K. Limbhasut of Thailand (68) at 202.

Anyone from among the top 12 who are all separated by four strokes or less can steal the win in this event that has become one of the world’s most prestigious competitions with rewards that can really cap an amateur career just the way Go wants it done.

The winner here gets a slot in the Masters and British Open next year as well as the British Amateur Open, provided he stays as an amateur.

Already bent on turning pro next week, Go is willing to put his professional plans on hold should he crown himself the winner.

For the third straight day, No. 8 proved to Go’s Achilles heel, where a strayed tee-shot nearly caused a disaster. He three-putted there on the first day and missed the green for another bogey the next day.

“I’ve been unlucky there for the last three days so I’m hoping that tomorrow I’ll have my good day, and hit a straighter drive,” he said.

He’s also not going to let the incentives, his professional plans and a final round date with defending champion Lin distract him from the real mission of playing a good round tomorrow.

“Tomorrow I’ll try to shoot the best I can, 18 holes is a long way to go and there’s a lot of players still in contention for me to even think of all those distractions.”