KEY POINTS:
An exhausted David Smail will summon one final effort to try and clinch New Zealand's first Australian Open title after one of the most trying days of his career at a windswept Royal Sydney earlier today.
New Zealand's highest-ranked player will tee off in tomorrow's final round with a one-shot shot lead over Andre Stolz in pursuit of the winner's purse of A$315,000, ($386,000) having held his nerve over 30 holes on a golfing Saturday that began at dawn.
"It's tough, it was brutal out there this afternoon. You're getting attacked by sand flying out of bunkers and it's hot. Somehow you just do it, you have to," he said.
"It's been a long year and after 30-odd holes today I'm a bit had-it. I feel like a shower, that's for sure. " On an honours board that features Gary Player (seven times) and Jack Nicklaus (six), no Kiwi has raised the Stonehaven Cup in the tournament's 104-year history.
Smail went close when third behind Greg Norman and Wayne Grady in 1996, while the 2001 Canon Challenge remains his only Australian victory.
The Japan Tour regular could argue he's due after three runner-up cheques in the past 12 months: behind Peter Lonard in the Australian PGA at Coolum a year ago, American Darron Stiles in the NZPGA in February and Jeev Milkha Singh in the Japan Tour's Nippon Series JT Cup in Tokyo last weekend.
"We'll see how it goes tomorrow, I'll just keep trying to swing it well, and hopefully there's a bit less wind. It'd be nice to bring the trophy home, that's for sure.
"Last year I was second in the PGA and there's been some other close ones. It'd certainly be nice to have the New Zealand Open, Japan Open and Aussie Open, that'd sound pretty good. " As temperatures soared and the warm northerly gusted strongly, Smail showed remarkable consistency to sign for a third round 70 to go with opening rounds of 67 and 68.
His nearest challenger at 10-under was Australian Stolz who fired a third round 66, while Smail's compatriot Mark Brown charged within two shots of the lead before bogeying his final three holes to shoot 72 to be five-under, tied for 13th.
The 38-year-old Smail was up at 4.45am (local time) for tee-off two hours later to complete his second round after heavy rain forced the suspension of play late yesterday.
He'd clearly slept soundly. One-over after six holes in his second round, Smail flew into action with six birdies and a bogey in his next 12 to begin the third round two shots behind little-known Western Australian leader Stephen Dartnall.
Smail promptly birdied the first two holes as playing partners Dartnall and Chris Gaunt couldn't match the Hamiltonian's consistency.
He was in or near the lead from then onwards, with bogeys on 10 and 18 his only blemishes.
Brown made a more sedate start to the day with a solitary birdie to post a second round of 72 to be five-under at the halfway point, six shots behind Dartnall.
He got busy in the third round, firing four birdies in his first 11 holes to move within three shots of the lead, but he faded late with bogeys on 13, 16, 17 and 18 to record another par round.
New Zealand's top amateur Danny Lee showed his fighting qualities after a horror second round 75, with five birdies and two bogeys in a third round of 69 to be four-over, seven behind Smail.
Seven New Zealanders made the cut, with Gareth Paddison (71) three-under after 54 holes, Josh Geary (72) one-under, Richard Lee (72) one-under, and Mahal Pearce (76) four-over.
- NZPA
