Tom McKibbin maintained his lead at the Link Hong Kong Open, aiming for a wire-to-wire win. The Northern Irishman faces pressure from MJ Maguire and Peter Uihlein, who are close behind on the leaderboard. McKibbin began with a two-shot advantage over Uihlein after a record-breaking 60 and a bogey-free 65.
McKibbin's consistent performance kept him at 20-under, while Maguire surged with a nine-under 61 to reach 19-under. Uihlein, after two late bogeys, sits at 18-under. Anirban Lahiri from India is T18 with a total of 12-under following a three-under round.
S.S.P. Chawrasia improved to eight-under, and Ajeetesh Sandhu ended the day at seven-under. Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat is T4 alongside Scott Hend after both delivered strong performances.
Charles Howell III and Louis Oosthuizen are T6 on 16-under, with Charles Porter and Micah Shin closely following.
McKibbin's bogey-free streak ended with a dropped shot on the third hole but he recovered with birdies on four and five. He added more birdies on six, nine, and twelve before another bogey on fifteen. Two more birdies on sixteen and seventeen helped him regain the lead over Maguire.
The competition is fierce as spots in next year's Open Championship and Masters are up for grabs, along with points in The International Series Rankings race. McKibbin commented on the challenging conditions: "It was pretty good overall. I felt the course was playing a little tougher - the pins seemed harder but I played some very nice golf. "
Maguire had an impressive run with three birdies and an eagle from holes ten to thirteen, including holing out his second shot at eleven. He finished strong with consecutive birdies on seventeen and eighteen.
Uihlein's Eventful Round
Uihlein experienced ups and downs during his round but managed to finish two shots off the lead with a score of sixty-five. Reflecting on his performance, he said: "The start was all right, right? And then the last four, well, I guess fifteen and eighteen were bad. "
Hend is positioned three shots behind McKibbin after a bogey-free sixty-four. He expressed his desire to win again: "I just tried to play solid golf. I'd love to be a Hong Kong Open champion again. "
Aphibarnrat's Comeback
Aphibarnrat overcame early struggles by making four birdies and an eagle to stay level with Hend. He shared his thoughts: "Rough start. But I'm just enjoying this week. " The tournament offers opportunities for players to advance in their careers through The International Series Rankings.
