Phachara Khongwatmai emerged from a packed leader board to take the third-round lead in the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club on Saturday. The Thai star fired a nine-under 63 to lead on 20 under by three from countrymen Poosit Supupramai and Itthipat Buranayarat, American Sihwan Kim, India’s Karandeep Kochhar and Doyeob Mun from Korea. Poosit matched the course record with a 62, while Itthipat and Kim fired 65s. Kochhar returned a 66 while Mun came in with a 68. Overnight leader Ryo Hisatsune from Japan carded a 71 and is 15 under. Phachara has only dropped one shot in three days and made nine birdies in his third round, including six on the back nine, with three on the trot from the 16th. “I have been playing well for a while, so I felt like a good round was coming,” said the 22-year-old, who also shot 63 on day one. “The course is possible to shoot low score, but you still have to play well.” The rising star finally won his first Asian Tour event at the end of last year at the Laguna Phuket Championship, after years of coming close, including six runner-up finishes. Best of Phachara Khongwatmai's round of 63 🙌🔥 @bmgolfclub #InternationalSeries #ThailandInternational #whereitsAT pic.twitter.com/2DL434a0K7 — Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) March 5, 2022 He also won twice on the Asian Development Tour in 2015, while in 2013 he triumphed in the Singha Hua Hin Open as a 14-year-old amateur. Poosit matched Sihwan Kim’s first round course record thanks to an eagle, nine birdies and just one bogey. “I just made the cut yesterday, which was a good day for me,” Poosit said. “Today I said to my family that I would concentrate on an aggressive game, as usual, and I did it well. I had a great game today with a good combination of driving, iron shots and putting and also slam dunked an eagle. I got some luck, everything was perfect.” Earlier in the day Thailand’s Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat, who celebrated his 15th birthday on Friday by finishing on the six under the halfway cut, stormed through the field with a 63 to finish on 15 under. “Fifteen yesterday and 15 under today. I think I will need at least 63 tomorrow to win,” Ratchanon said. “Tomorrow I am going to try and strike the ball like I did today and give myself a lot of opportunities again. Every single putt I have, I will have to run through every scenario and every possible calculation I need to make before hitting the putt. “If I want to win, I have to do that for every single putt. I did not manage to do that on eight of the holes today.”