Wu Weihuang (AFP)
Local favourite Wu Weihuang shot a two-under-par 70 to go 13-under and hold a three-stroke lead after the third round of the Dell Championship in Xiamen on Saturday.
But the 40-year-old former martial arts star, who has recorded 14 top-10 finishes in 26 events on the Omega China Tour, will have to fend off a host of rising stars to seal a long-awaited first professional victory.
Asian Tour star Alex Wu Ashun, Wu's 23-year-old playing partner, shot 69 to remain second while American C.J. Gatto, also 23, fired a 66 to go eight-under ahead of Sunday's final round.
Omega Championship winner Zhou Jun, 25, also shot 66 to share fourth place on six-under with Shang Lei, the 27-year-old former Asian Tour player who posted a 68, and 18-year-old Korean Eom Jae-woong, who carded a 71.
Wu's lead narrowed from five shots to three when he bogeyed the par-five 17th, which Wu Ashun birdied, but the father of three seemed undaunted by the turn of events.
"I'm not nervous because I'm playing well and I know the course well. I'll be relaxed on Sunday," said Wu, who was fourth in last year's Dell Championship.
Wu went as low as 15-under after bagging two birdies and an eagle on the first three par-fives, but bogeyed 16 and 17.
Wu Ashun is also bidding for his first professional victory after four top-10 and four top-20 finishes in nine appearances on the Omega China Tour.
"I didn't play well today, I was too rushed and tried too hard to chase birdies on the front nine. I need to be more relaxed on Sunday," said Wu, who has finished joint-seventh and joint-fourth in his last two Asian Tour appearances.
Shenzhen-based Gatto, winner of last month's Qualifying School and playing in his first 72-hole event since turning pro last August, turned heads with his surge up the leaderboard.
The young American birdied five of the first seven holes on his way to equalling his best-ever score in a competitive tournament.
Leading third-round scores (Chinese unless stated):
203 - Wu Weihuang 66-67-70
206 - Alex Wu Ashun 69-68-69
208 - C.J. Gatto (USA) 70-72-66
210 - Zhou Jun 69-75-66, Shang Lei 71-71-68, Eom Jae-woong (KOR) 69-70-71
211 - Lin Keng-chi (TPE) 70-69-72
212 - Chen Xiaoma 70-72-70
213 - Derek Goh Kun Yang (SIN) 77-67-69, Zhang Lianwei 71-70-72, Kong Weihai 70-69-74
214 - He Shaocai 74-72-68, Li Chao 72-69-73
© 2009 AFP/sid
