KEY POINTS:
Americans Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum continued their solid form to retain a one-shot lead over their more fancied rivals after the third-round fourballs at the golf World Cup at Shenzhen, China, yesterday.
But they will be looking over their shoulders as France, Gregory Havret and Raphael Jacquelin, stormed up the leaderboard, shooting a 10-under 62 to lie second overall. They started round three in 10th place.
Pre-tournament favourites England, with the highly ranked duo of Ian Poulter and Justin Rose, remain in the hunt at 18-under.
New Zealand remained a lowly 27th in the 28-team tournament, though Richard Lee and Stephen Scahill improved on Friday's disastrous five-over 77.
Yesterday they shot an adequate 70 but could not make up any ground on those above them.
With 18 holes left, they are two shots behind 24th-placed Puerto Rico and just one shot ahead of Colombia, who shot 68 yesterday.
Other big movers on day three were Argentina, from a tie for 10th to sixth, with eight-under, and Thailand whose nine-under took them from 19th into the top 10.
However, all eyes will be on the unheralded Americans as they attempt to hold off their big-name challengers.
"It's a difficult format to play," Slocum said after round two.
"We would have liked to have shot something lower but we started the day ahead and we finished it ahead so at least we're in good shape going into tomorrow."
England's Justin Rose and Ian Poulter were cursing their misfortune after the second round when a great start had them looking at a runaway lead.
"It's a little bit of a shame when you've got off to such a flying start," said Poulter after a four-under 68.
"The only really disappointing thing was the first putt on the 17th."
Meanwhile, China's Zhang Liangwei and Liang Wenchong delighted the local crowd with an early charge up the leaderboard on day two but a double-bogey seven at the par-five 12th and another dropped shot at the 15th caused them to slip back to eight-under and take a share of 12th.
They played well enough for five-under in the third round but it still saw them slip to 15th overall.
The format switches from fourballs back to foursomes on the final day of this US$5 million ($6.7 million) tournament.
- Reuters
