Alexander Levy fails to push home advantage in China

Golf round-up: Defending champion Alexander Levy squandered a brilliant start to leave the destiny of the Volvo China Open wide open heading into Sunday's final round.

Levy threatened to take a stranglehold on the event when he birdied his first four holes at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club to storm into the lead on 11 under par.

However, those would prove to be his last birdies of the day and bogeys on the fifth, 14th and 15th meant the 24-year-old Frenchman had to settle for a third round of 71 and a share of the lead with England's David Howell and Chinese pair Li Hao-tong and Wu Ashun on eight under.

“I started really well but after that I made a few mistakes,” Levy admitted. “On the back nine I was a little nervous because I was aggressive on my putts and made a few mistakes but I still enjoyed the day and it’s nice to be in this position for the last day.

“It’s three months since I played good golf and it was a shame for me not to qualify for the Masters. Now I am back into a good position which is nice and I like this feeling.

“The low scores came without the wind in the morning so to shoot six or seven under in the afternoon was very tough. But tomorrow I know there is more wind and it will be more difficult and you will need to use your head.”

Li, 19, who lost out in a play-off for the Shenzhen International on Sunday, recovered from a bogey on the second with birdies at the fourth, sixth, seventh and ninth to delight the home crowd with a 69.

“I hit some great shots today and really enjoyed it,” the world number 125 said. “If I play well on the front nine in the final round the back nine will be very tough, a lot of pressure. But I will still play my game and enjoy it.

“I’m getting a lot of experience and starting to enjoy being in this position.”

Howell followed six straight pars with five birdies in seven holes from the seventh to boost his hopes of a first victory since the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews in 2013.

Sweden's Magnus A Carlsson, England's Seve Benson, Thailand's Prom Meesawat and Scotland's Richie Ramsay were all on six under, with Belgium's Thomas Pieters another shot back and overnight leader Julien Quesne four under after struggling to a 76.

Lee Westwood produced a sparkling back nine of just 29 shots to wrest control of the Asian Tour's Indonesian Masters in Jakarta.

The former world number one will take a five-shot lead into Sunday’s final round after his seven-under-par 65 as he bids to claim the title for the third time following wins on his two previous appearances in 2011 and 2012.

He begun the day three shots off the lead but his sparkling run from the 12th, where he picked up seven shots in six holes despite a weather delay in between, put him well clear in the €690,000 event.

“I was plodding along even par for my round through 11 but still only two behind. Good runs like that can separate you from the field a bit and it was nice to do that,” said the Englishman, who celebrated his 42nd birthday on Friday.

“I had a chance at the last but just blocked my second shot slightly. But if you had given me a 65 after 11 holes I would have snapped your hand off.”

A lengthy eagle putt at the par-five 12th kicked things off before birdies followed at the next five holes, with his run ending somewhat surprisingly at the straight forward par-five last.

Former USPGA champion YE Yang was in a tie for second after a birdie on the last in his round of 69 to sit alongside Dane Thomas Bjorn and Thailand's Namchok Tantipokhakul, who both shot 71.

Hudson Swafford shot a second-round six-under-par 66 to share the lead at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans before play in the second round was suspended for the day due to inclement weather.

Swafford carded six birdies to lie 11 under overall alongside fellow American Boo Weekley, who still had three holes left when tournament organisers decided to suspend play.

Swafford, one of only eight of the top-20 players to complete their second rounds, shared his six birdies equally between the front and back nines and has yet to card a bogey in 36 holes at TPC Louisiana this week.

Joint overnight leader Weekley was also bogey-free in his 15 second-round holes and added three birdies to take a share of the lead.

Brendon de Jonge, who led alongside Weekley after the first round, is one of a five-strong group of players a shot behind the leading pair after carding a two-under 70 on Friday.

Canadian Brooke Henderson upstaged fellow teenager and birthday girl Lydia Ko by firing a tournament record seven-under 65 on Friday to take a two-shot lead at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic.

The 17-year-old Henderson, a long hitter who still needs sponsor exemptions to enter tournaments, reeled off six birdies and an eagle to vault to the top of the leaderboard at nine under.

Despite playing only her 10th tournament, Henderson said she was prepared for the weekend.

"I think I'm ready," she said. "Yeah, 17 is young. As you've seen with Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson and even Jessica Korda, there are a lot of great names that have been able to do it. I'm hoping that I'm one of them."

South Korean Choi Na-yeon was alone in second place at seven under while Japan's Sakura Yokomine and China's Yueer Cindy Feng were joint third three shots back at six-under at the Lake Merced Golf Course in San Francisco.

World number one and defending champion Ko was serenaded by the galleries on her 18th birthday but her game was off-key during an even-par 72 which left her at five under.

“I really didn’t get anything going,” said the New Zealander.

“When that happens it’s really hard. You know, I would say the par-fives, you kind of need to take advantage of them. I didn’t position myself well in any of them, and that just makes it tough. Kind of feel like you’re already losing shots there.”