Garcia snatches 3rd round lead at Singapore Open

Garcia snatches 3rd round lead at Singapore Open

Published Jan. 20, 2018 11:15 p.m. ET

SINGAPORE (AP) Masters champion Sergio Garcia made four early birdies to take the third-round lead at the Singapore Open on Sunday as organizers rushed to finish the tournament on time after three days of weather delays.

Returning to the Sentosa Golf Club just after dawn to complete his third round after play was suspended on Saturday because of lightning strikes, Garcia finished off his last four holes in 4-under for a 66 and a 54-hole total of 11-under 202.

That gave Garcia the outright lead by a shot from joint halfway leader Chapchai Nirat, who bogeyed the 18th for a 68, and his fellow Thai pro golfer Danthai Boonma, who signed for a 65.

Indonesia's Danny Masrin, who was given an invitation to play the $1million Asian Tour event, shot a 67 to join Japan's Satoshi Kodaira (66), at 9-under.

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Former teen prodigy Ryo Ishikawa, who led by two shots early in the third round, slipped down the leaderboard with a double bogey at the last that left him at 4-under.

To make up for lost time, event organizers kept the same three-man groups and starting order they used for the third round, and sent the backmarkers off early on two tees in the final round to try and avert the threat of any afternoon thunderstorms.

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