CHONBURI, Thailand — Spaniard Sergio Garcia carded a second successive seven-under-par 65 at the Thailand Golf Championship Saturday and will go into Sunday's final round with a four-shot lead and a golden opportunity to end his title drought this year. Garcia, who was tied for the lead at the halfway stage with Englishman Justin Rose, took his three-day total to 18-under in the $1 million Asian Tour event at the Amata Spring Country Club. World No. 3 Swede Henrik Stenson matched Garcia's 65 and shared the second place alongside India's Anirban Lahiri who carded a 67. Rose bogeyed his final hole for a two-under-par 70 to sit at fourth spot, five strokes behind the leader. “It was great obviously to be able to go out there and shoot 65 again,” Garcia told reporters after sinking eight birdies, including two on the final holes, against a lone bogey. “I played nicely and felt pretty comfortable. I was able to hit some really nice shots and then was able to roll two or three really good putts in and it was nice to be able to finish birdie, birdie on this difficult finishing stretch.” The Ryder Cup hero was aware of the low-scoring conditions and a possible challenge from Stenson, who became the first man to win the US Tour's lucrative FedExCup series and finish top of the European money list in 2013. “Not only Henrik... there are probably five or six guys who can shoot a really good number. It's going to be exciting tomorrow,” said Garcia, who had his girlfriend Katharina Boehm caddying for him. Van der Walt wins Mandela event South Africa's Dawie Van der Walt fired a four-under 66 during the third and final round to win the Nelson Mandela Championship by two shots at the rain affected EPGA event in Durban Saturday. The 30-year-old finished the shortened tournament on 15-under par to finish ahead of Englishman Matthew Baldwin and Spaniard Jorge Campillo as he picked up his second European title at the saturated Mount Edgecombe golf club. The win comes on the eve of Mandela's funeral after the former president passed away at the age of 95 last week. Frenchman Romain Wattel was alone in fourth three shots back, while South African Oliver Bekker was a further stroke back to complete the top five. Overnight leader Daniel Brooks of England blew a three-shot lead as he ballooned to a six-over score of 76 to slide down the leaderboard and a joint 11th-place finish. The tournament was reduced to 54 holes after heavy rain washed out the first day's play as the European Tour remains in South Africa and heads to the Durban Open which begins next Thursday. — Agencies
