McDowell stays ahead as Kaymer applies pressure

GraemeMcDowell

Northern Irishman McDowell, who shot 67 in his opening two rounds, carded a one-under-par 71 to leave him one stroke ahead of Hiroshi Iwata at Sheshan International Golf Club in China.

But Kaymer was the big mover, signing for a 66 to move to within two shots of the leader, the 2011 winner sinking seven birdies in a round blighted by just one bogey at the 15th.

Englishman Ian Poulter, champion in 2012 and runner-up last year, saw his challenge fade somewhat as a par score left him four shots behind his playing partner.

Meanwhile, Bubba Watson birdied four of the last five holes to compensate for a double-bogey six at the 10th and move level with Kaymer.

McDowell, ranked 17th in the world, started brightly and looked comfortable after picking up two shots through the first seven holes, before blotting his copybook at the eighth with an untidy bogey six.

A solid back-nine effort, kicked off with a birdie at the 10th, saw him home in good shape, but the three-shot lead he had enjoyed overnight was almost gone when Iwata sunk a 20-foot birdie attempt at the 18th.

All the while Kaymer was working his way up the leaderboard, going out in 32 as the two-time major winner demonstrated his class.

Even his solitary bogey was sandwiched by birdies and a four at the last wrapped up the day's best round in fitting style.

Iwata, a considerable underdog given his ranking of 127th, appeared to be slipping out of the race with a bogey six on the second, but six birdies thereafter saw him remain in the hunt.

It seems unlikely that a winner will come from outside of a top nine that also includes Tim Clark, Thorbjorn Olesen and Jonas Blixt, with 10th-placed Lee Westood some seven shots back.

But Sunday's climactic round will test the nerve of McDowell, who knows a thing or two about overturning huge deficits to win on the European Tour, having come from eight shots back to prevail at the Open de France in July - his last victory on the Tour.

Author(s)