Chonburi (Thailand), Dec 17 (IANS): Runaway leader Lee Westwood of England saw his overnight 11-shot lead slashed to four by Masters champion Charl Schwartzel after the third round of the inaugural Thailand Golf Championship Saturday. India's Jyoti Randhawa carded a brilliant seven-under-par 65 to be sixth in the standings.
World number three Westwood, who opened with a stunning career low 12-under-par 60 and followed up with a 64, carded a disappointing one-over-par 73 in the $1 million Asian Tour season-ending tournament while Schwartzel produced a solid 66, despite a bogey on the last.
Michael Thompson of the United States was third, seven shots behind the leader, after a 69 at the Amata Spring Country Club while Guido Van Der Valk of the Netherlands, lying 83rd on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit, gave himself every chance of earning a full 2012 card with a 66 which propelled him to fourth place.
Westwood, who equalled the Asian Tour's 36-hole record of 20-under-par 124 Friday, dropped his first bogey of the day at the par five second hole following a wayward drive into the hazard and turned in 37 with another bogey and a birdie.
He seemed to have steadied the ship with birdies on 11 and 15 but carelessly missed a short par putt on 16 and then dropped his fourth bogey after finding the greenside trap at the signature island green par three 17th hole.
Still, the 38-year-old Englishman was confident of securing his fourth title of the season, and second in three weeks despite seeing Schwartzel chip away at his overnight big lead. "(I had) a few bad breaks … if you had offered me a four-shot lead Thursday morning I would have taken it," said Westwood, who holds a three-day total of 19-under-par 197.
"After a 60 and 64, you are probably going to be disappointed with the third round but like I said, a four-shot lead into the last round is a good position to be in. It drains you (to be leading) but it is a better position to be leading obviously other than to chase.
"Today, Charl had the momentum and I was fighting against it. It is not the easiest golf course here. I will just go out and focus on my own game and shoot another low score."
Schwartzel achieved what he wanted to do with four straight birdies from the second hole. He got to seven under for the round with three more birdies on the back nine before dropping his lone bogey of the day at the demanding 18th hole.
Meanwhile, Randhawa of old showed up when the former Asian Tour number one produced one of his best rounds of the year with a seven-under-par 65 to shoot into the top-10 of the event.
Randhawa fired eight birdies on the card, including five on his back nine to give himself a chance of ending his year on a high note following a relatively quiet season by his lofty standards.
Scores after round 3:
197 - Lee Westwood (ENG) 60-64-73.
201 - Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 69-66-66.
204 - Michael Thompson (USA) 69-66-69.
206 - Guido van der Valk (NED) 71-69-66.
207 - Simon Dyson (ENG) 69-70-68.
208 - Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 73-70-65.
209 - Chawalit Plaphol (THA) 73-71-65, Rikard Karlberg (SWE) 72-71-66, Daisuke Maruyama (JPN) 73-68-68, Prom Meesawat (THA) 72-68-69.
210 - Kwanchai Tannin (THA) 69-71-70, John Daly(USA) 65-73-72.