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Source: gmanews.tv

-- Mhark Fernando and Antonio Asistio II slightly fell in the race for the title as they faltered with over-par rounds, although they still have 18 holes left to snatch a victory against leader Han Chang-won of Korea in the Asian Amateur Championship at the Mission Hills Golf Club's World Cup course in China.

Fernando, who was within three from the top man after the second round, took a step closer when he threatened with back-to-back birdies from No. 2 but he dropped a shot on the seventh, picked up another birdie on the next only to yield another stroke on the ninth.

He bogeyed the par-5 11th and dropped two more strokes on Nos. 15 and 17 against a birdie on the 16th for that 73 for a five-under 211, five behind Han, the individual gold medalist in the recent Nomura Cup who had a 10-under 206 after a 71.

Asistio was off form for much of the day. A quintuple bogey on the par-4 No. 9 led to an awful seven-over 79. The ICTSI golf team mainstay went out with a 43, birdied Nos. 11 and 12 but made bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15 to fall way behind with a 219.

In contrast, Judson Eustaquio fought back from a second round 76 and shot a bogey — free two-under 70 but stood eight strokes behind Han with a 214 with 18 holes left in the four-day championship among the region's top amateurs which stakes a berth in the US Masters to the winner.

Jhonnel Ababa also improved with a 216 after a 73 but Dante Becierra slid farther back at 225 after a 78.

Han took a two-shot lead over compatriot Eric Chun, who rallied with a 66 for a 208 while halfway joint leader Jordan Sherratt of Australia struggled with a 74 and dropped to third at 209 followed by New Zealand’s Peter Spearman-Burn who had a 210 after a 73.