Holding his own: Hong Kong’s Jason Hak closes in on wire-to-wire breakthrough win in Beijing
The 22-year-old maintains a one-shot lead at the PGA Tour China Series’ Pingan Bank Open heading into Sunday’s final round at Topwin Golf and Country Club
Hong Kong’s Jason Hak Shun-yat has led at the end of a day’s play five times previously on the PGA Tour China Series this season, but now crucially as the Hong Kong ace edges closer to a breakthrough first win as a professional, the 22-year-old is taking an advantage into the final round.
Hak had earlier been forced to return to Topwin Golf and Country Club early on Saturday morning to complete the final five holes of his second round at the Pingan Bank Open after Friday’s play was halted early due to lighting and added two further birdies to his card to complete a bogey-free six-under-par 66.
That effort established a one-shot lead over American Charlie Saxon, and despite Hak making a slow start to his third round later in the day, three back nine birdies on Saturday afternoon helped maintain that advantage after a solid three-under 69.
China’s Zhang Xinjun has joined Saxon heading the chasing pack at 16-under overall, with a further two strokes back to South Korea’s Lee Seung-yun.
“It’s tough when you have the lead. But you just have to fight it, especially like today when you’re not swinging well and nothing is going my way,” said Hak, who tops the leaderboard at 17-under-par.
“You just have to keep grinding, and you can’t give up. I had to do what I had to do to get it done, and now I’ll continue on the journey of learning that. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”