PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Jim Furyk hasn’t competed on the PGA Tour in seven months, so he kept his expectations to a minimum at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

That changed into pressure he knows all too well with one big round.

Furyk made seven birdies over his last 10 holes at Pebble Beach on Saturday, the last one with a wedge he spun back to tap-in range on the par-5 18th, for his best round in two decades playing this tournament. He had a 9-under 63 and a one-shot lead over Matt Jones and Brandt Snedeker going into the final round.

For the 44-year-old Furyk, it’s another chance to end more than four years without a victory. He has had at least a share of the 54-hole lead eight times during that drought without converting. But at least he has another chance.

“Ultimately, I want to win golf tournaments and that’s what’s most important to me,” said Furyk, who was at 18-under 197. “And I think maybe at times last year, I sat here and looked at y’all and said, `I’m not going to put pressure on myself, I’m just going to go out there and try and play the same way.’ It’s not hard to look you right in the eye and say, `I want to win golf tournaments.’ But it’s hard to go out the next day and try to play the same way and not put extra pressure on yourself.

“We all expect a lot of ourselves and we all put pressure on ourselves on Sunday,” he said. “But I think that the way maybe I was doing it in the past was a little counterproductive at times.”

Jones made six birdies in a seven-hole stretch and built a three-shot lead late in the glorious afternoon until he made bogey on his last two holes at Pebble Beach for a 67. Furyk caught up to him and then passed him with a wedge to a foot on the final hole. Brandt Snedeker, who went 47 holes before making his first bogey of the tournament, made a 20-foot birdie putt on his final hole for a 67.

“Didn’t have my best stuff starting out today,” Snedeker said. “I was able to gut out a good round. You kind of have to do that. … You’re going to have a stretch of golf where you’re not playing your best, and hopefully, mine is behind me now.”

Furyk had a stretch of great golf, and it carried him to his best round at Pebble Beach. He made an 8-foot birdie on the ninth hole and took off. He twice had tap-in birdies, and three others were inside 10 feet.

It was better than he imagined considering how long he has been away from competition. His last official tournament was the Tour Championship on Sept. 14 when he tied for second. He also played the Ryder Cup and filled in at the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, but otherwise took one of the longest breaks of his career.

“I really didn’t know where I stood coming out here,” Furyk said. “I was going to be very patient and see where I was, and go play Pebble and L.A. and reassess and have the week off to get ready for Doral and Tampa. I guess I’m pleasantly surprised. I wouldn’t expect to be 18-under par after three days, I’ll promise you that. But also didn’t expect the weather to be like this either.”

The weather has been nothing short of ideal, and it showed in the scoring. The cut was 7-under 209, breaking the tournament record of 4 under in 2005. That was too low for John Daly, who had a 73 at Spyglass Hill and missed the cut for the 11th straight time at this event dating to his rookie season in 1991.

It was the first time Furyk had the lead going into the final round since the Canadian Open nearly seven months ago. “I think it’s only been four events,” Furyk cracked, and he was close. It was six events ago. He also shared the lead at the Barclays, though that was wide open. And in some respects, so is this one.

A one-shot lead in the final round on the PGA Tour is like having no lead at all, and Furyk has more than Snedeker and Jones to worry about. Nick Watney, who played at Fresno State and was thrilled to be playing with San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, had a 65 at Pebble Beach and was two shots behind. Kevin Chappell, who grew up in Fresno, had a 66 at Pebble and was two shots behind.

Brantford, Ont.’s David Hearn dropped 13 spots into a tie for 17th Saturday after a 1-under 71.

Weyburn, Sask. native Graham DeLaet climbed 53 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 24th thanks to a 7-under 64. Other three players, including Furyk, had better rounds Saturday.

Canadians Nick Taylor, Roger Sloan and Mike Weir all failed to make the 54-hole cut.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Paul McLean of King, Ont. was inducted as Golf Canada’s 112^th  President during the National Sport Federation’s Annual General Meeting this weekend in Mississauga, Ont.

McLean succeeds 2014 President Douglas Alexander of London, Ont. while Roland Deveau of Bedford, N.S. becomes First Vice-President and Leslie Dunning of Calgary assumes the role of Second Vice-President.

“It is with great pride and humility that I assume the post of 112th President of Golf Canada,” said McLean. “It was an honour to have served as First Vice-President under Doug and to have witnessed first-hand his tremendous leadership and unequalled dedication to our game. I would like to thank him and the Board for their trust and I look forward to working with our members and stakeholders to further grow our game and promote excellence in our sport.”

McLean, Deveau and Dunning will lead Golf Canada’s 2015 Board of Directors which also includes Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Que.; Liz Hoffman of Thornhill, Ont.; Dale Jackson of Victoria, B.C.; Rob MacDonald of Winnipeg; Don MacKay of Bracebridge, Ont.; Nick Marrone of Toronto; Pat Thompson of Kelowna, B.C.;  as well as immediate past President Douglas Alexander.

Dave Mills, Bob Weeks and the late Gordon Stollery honoured as Co-Recipients of Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award
Created in 1993, Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service award has been awarded annually to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the game of golf in Canada. This year’s recipients are former Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) Executive Director Dave Mills, SCOREGolf Editorial Director and television personality Bob Weeks, and the late (Arthur) Gordon Stollery of Markham, Ont. Click here for more information on Mills, Weeks and Stollery.

Diane Barabé named Volunteer of the Year
Diane Barabé of Granby, Que. was recognized as Golf Canada’s Volunteer of the Year for 2014. This marks the ninth year in which this initiative has recognized individuals in the golf community for their tireless efforts and dedication in helping to grow the game in Canada.

Click here for more information on Barabé.

Mike Carroll appointed as Honorary Life Governor
Congratulations to Mike Carrollof Vancouver on being named an Honorary Life Governor with Golf Canada. Carroll served as Golf Canada’s 110th president in 2013.

Annual Report & Strategic Plan
Click here for Golf Canada’s 2014 Annual Report including a recap of the past season as well as the association’s 2014 Financial Statements.

Click here for Golf Canada’s One Vision Strategic Plan, outlining the key activities that Golf Canada is focused on as the National Sport Federation and governing body for golf.

Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting has historically been an important week in the lead up to the coming competitive season. In addition to appointing its new president and members to the Board of Directors, the association presents details of its strategic plan and gathers with key stakeholders from the provincial golf associations as well as a number of national association partners.  The AGM also celebrates key accomplishments from the previous year and provides the association a forum to discuss issues and opportunities facing the Canadian golf industry.

Although “love” is a term more associated with tennis than professional golf, there will be a lot of Valentine’s Day cards being exchanged this week on the PGA Tour.

While we can’t overlook wonderful long-term relationships like Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, who will celebrate their 55^th wedding anniversary this year, there is a remarkable love story much closer to home for Canadians: Graham and Ruby DeLaet.

Married in 2008, the couple met when Graham, from Weyburn, Sask., was attending Boise State University in Idaho on a golf scholarship and she was working in the bank he patronized. They came face to face and it was love at first sight. Or maybe not quite?

“It was more like attraction at first sight,” recalls Ruby with a smile. “It didn’t take long, however, to know that we had something special. I think we actually told one another that we loved each other about one month in …. Graham said it first, by the way! My heart had never felt so full and that pretty much eradicated any concerns I could have had.  I know Graham was a bit concerned about his future profession and how that would affect our relationship but I reassured him it did not matter.  I would rather miss someone I loved than not love anyone at all.”

That resolve must have been tested during the early days of their marriage when Graham was paying his dues on lower-echelon circuits such as PGA Tour Canada, travelling from stop to stop alone. “I went to only three events in the three years he was out there, but when he received his PGA Tour status, it felt like a dream come true and it still does.”

Now the couple travel together and despite the occasional hiccup of lost luggage and missed flight connections, they continue to live that dream. “At the end of the day, we are together, happy and healthy, and that’s all that matters.”

And lest you think Ruby categorizes herself as a “golf widow,” be prepared to be sternly corrected. “That term is over-used and annoying!” she exclaims. “You avoid being a golf widow by simply not accepting to be one.  If a spouse really doesn’t see her husband enough that she feels like a ‘widow,’ then something needs to change.  I have my own work and hobbies, such as getting our foundation off the ground, to keep me busy.”

She is referring to the Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation. Founded last year, the foundation’s central focus is on improving children’s health and wellness as well as developing junior golfers in Saskatchewan, extending the couple’s commitment to “health and happiness,” not just for themselves but for others less fortunate.

“Graham and I have a lot of fun when we can work on something as a team.  Being able to provide funds and services to those in need is so rewarding.  Establishing the foundation provides a platform for us to get the word out and build recognition for charities near to our heart.  The fact that we get to do it together is icing on the cake.”

And while they haven’t been able to spend a lot of Valentine’s Days together, there is one that stands out, although not for the reason you may expect.

“The first year we started dating, Graham had been traveling for a college golf tournament and got home on Valentine’s Day.  I had made a calendar for him of pictures of us and was so excited to give it to him! He flew in really late and, by the time he got home, he was so tired he couldn’t even stay awake to look through it.”

So, despite that, if you’re looking for some romantic inspiration this Valentine’s Day, you need look no further than Graham and Ruby DeLaet, whose love for each other is not only demonstrated day in and day out, but envelopes many others through their foundation.

To follow Ruby on Twitter, go to @The_Rubes. To support the foundation and follow Graham and Ruby on Tour, go to www.grahamdelaet.com.

HUA HIN, Thailand – Scott Hend of Australia surged into lead of the Thailand Classic on Saturday by shooting a 6-under 66 in the third round despite a bogey on the last hole.

Hend used his powerful hitting to make five birdies and an eagle on the 13th before his only mishap on the 18th. His 15-under total of 201 put him one shot ahead of overnight leader Miguel Angel Jimenez and local favorite Thongchai Jaidee at the European Tour event.

Hend said “I played very solidly and putted quite well. I only made one mistake so it was pretty good. This is where you want to be, in the last group on a Sunday.

Jimenez had a bogey-free round of 69, while Thongchai carded 67.

The 51-year-old Jiminez said “I’m playing well and hitting it well. I missed a few putts (but) I’m creating lots of chances.”

Canada’s Richard T. Lee carded a 73 Saturday and dropped 17 spots into a tie for 20th.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Enjoying the best weather Pebble Beach has to offer is one thing. Brandt Snedeker knew he had to take advantage of it with his golf clubs, too.

Snedeker played bogey-free at Spyglass in abundant sunshine and warmth Friday for a 5-under 67 to share the 36-hole lead with Matt Jones in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Jones had a 66 at Spyglass Hill.

They were at 12-under 131, one shot ahead of Justin Hicks, who had a 68 at Monterey Peninsula.

John Daly, who started the second round one shot behind and briefly was tied for the lead when he birdied his opening hole at Monterey Peninsula, didn’t make a birdie over his last 11 holes and shot a 72. He dropped into a tie for 37th and will have to play well Saturday at Spyglass to avoid missing the cut for the 11th straight time at this event.

Scoring has been low, which was to be expected with barely any breeze and enough sunshine to make the ball go farther through a combination of warm air and firmer than usual fairways. The top 60 and ties make the cut, and 60th place was at 4-under par.

Snedeker and Jones now head to Pebble Beach, along with the celebrity rotation.

The pros’ outlook was different.

“If the greens firm up, Pebble is going to play the hardest because they’re such small greens,” Jones said, who won the Shell Houston Open last year for his first PGA Tour title. “If you’re not hitting your irons well enough, you’re going to struggle out there.”

Snedeker, who won at Pebble Beach two years ago, always felt that was the key to getting into contention and to winning.

“The years I’m playing good, it seems like it comes down to how you play Pebble for me the last two days,” he said. “When the weather is good, you need to be able to get after it and shoot a low round. And the way the scores are right now and the weather forecast over the weekend, it’s going to take … somewhere around 20-under par to win this golf tournament. So I’ve got to look at 7- to 10-under par the next couple days to win. Can’t take the foot off the gas pedal.”

FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel, who hasn’t finished in the top 20 this season, had a 65 at Spyglass Hill and was part of a large group two shots behind. The biggest move of the day belonged to Torrey Pines winner Jason Day, who wasn’t ever sure he would play.

Day said he took his son to the emergency room with a stomach ailment, which then was passed to his wife and then to him. The Australian wasn’t sure he could play 30 minutes before his tee time, and then he posted a 62 at Monterey Peninsula.

That put him only three shots out of the lead, along with Jim Furyk (70) and Nick Watney (69), who both played at Spyglass.

No one needs to get it in gear like Snedeker.

When he won at Pebble Beach two years ago, he moved to a career-high No. 4 in the world, the highest-ranked American behind Tiger Woods. He now is one spot behind Woods in the world ranking, except that’s not a good thing. Snedeker is No. 63 and can’t count on the tournaments he regularly plays, particularly the Masters.

He had only four top 10s all of last year and fell out of the top 50. After missing the cut in his 2015 debut at the Humana Challenge, Snedeker has taken baby steps in Phoenix and San Diego and appears to be hitting his stride.

“It’s no fun not being eligible for the Masters and not playing World Golf Championships and stuff like that,” Snedeker said. “So it’s a huge motivating factor, not that I need any more to be motivated for, but I definitely want to make sure that I qualify for the Masters and Match Play and WGCs and all that kind of stuff. And to do that, I need to play good. So it’s nobody to blame but myself. I need to get out there and get it done.”

It helps when his putter is cooperating, always the best part of his game. That’s what he has been working on the most, believing that everything revolves around his short game. Now he feels like he is putting the way he should, and he put his old putter back in the bag in November after replacing it toward the second half of the season.

“Sometimes you got to use some harsh words with the putter if it’s not paying attention and bench them, leave them in a hot trunk for a while and let them know that they can be replaced,” he said with a smile. “And luckily, she understood and got back into working form.”

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont. shot a second-round 66 to climb 11 spots into a tie for 4th with nine others at 10-under 133.

Weyburn, Sask. native Graham DeLaet is 3-under (141), Abbotsford, B.C.’s Nick Taylor is 2-over (146) and Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont. is 8-over (151).

Merrit, B.C.’s Roger Sloan carded an 11 on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach today to finish with an 82. He’s 10-over at 154.

NAPLES, Fla. – Colin Montgomerie had five birdies in an eight-hole stretch on the back nine Friday, shooting a 6-under 66 for a one-shot lead after one round of the Champions Tour’s ACE Group Classic.

Montgomerie is followed by Tommy Armour III, who shot a 67 at TwinEagles Golf Club. Defending champion Kirk Triplett and Lee Janzen are at 68.

Montgomerie began his day with a 40-foot birdie putt. On the back nine, he birdied Nos. 10, 12, 13, 16 and 17.

Armour had four putts of more than 12 feet, including a 40-footer on No. 6 for one of his six birdies. He had a bogey on No. 14. Armour tied for sixth last week at the Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Florida.

Paul Goydos, last week’s winner, was three shots back. Bernhard Langer, who had five victories last season, is five behind.

Canadians Stephen Ames and Rod Spittle both opened with 71s for a share of 17th spot Friday.  Jim Rutledge (77) was 5 over.

Ever seen the keeper of a treasured trophy, let’s say the Stanley Cup, for example, handle that icon? White gloves, measured steps, polishing… all while moving it from place to place, exposing it to more and more admirers.

Picture Doug Alexander in that figurative role during his tenure in 2014 as the 111th president of Golf Canada.

“My priority was to move Golf Canada’s plan forward during my year as president, not to put my fingerprints all over it,” said Alexander as he prepared to make way for his successor, Paul McLean of King Township, Ont., at Golf Canada’s annual general meeting in February. “It wasn’t about Doug Alexander’s game plan. It was about what was best for the organization, furthering Golf Canada’s vision to ensure the vitality and sustainability of golf.”

Talk to some who have held similar top positions in other organizations, and you get “picture postcard” memories: where they’ve been, who they’ve met, what they’ve seen. And while Alexander has his share of those, they are less “postcards from abroad” than potential building blocks for the game in this country.

Even though he was fortunate that several championships—the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, the PGA TOUR Canada Tour Championship, the Canadian Women’s Amateur and the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada—were all held in his hometown of London, Ont., he still was on the road for many weeks. Call them working vacations, with the emphasis on “working.”

“Highlights have to include going to all the national amateur events and The Masters and the Open Championship and, certainly, the World Amateur in Japan,”

Alexander recalls, “but [Golf Canada CEO] Scott Simmons and I made an effort to use them as great opportunities to meet with our counterparts from the provinces and from all over the world—the U.S., Scotland, Ireland, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and others. So we really learned a lot about what these countries were doing, sharing initiatives and best practices.

“But we were also happy to discover that they were just as interested in what we do here and I now have a greater appreciation of what we are accomplishing here in Canada to improve participation and performance. We have a very good framework here and now we have to strengthen the linkages among all concerned to move the game forward.”

Doug Alexander with 2014 RBC Canadian Open champion Tim Clark (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)

Alexander comes by his abiding passion for golf naturally. His earliest memories are of playing as a young lad in his native Scotland. “I played with my grandmother as often as I could and with some people who are still my closest friends today,” he said as he accepted the presidency in 2014. “I would go out and play nine holes in the evening with my mum and dad. Fifty-plus years later, I still view golf as a game that at its heart and soul is about camaraderie and friendship.”

You can hear echoes of those childhood rounds in Alexander’s Scottish accent. Even more clearly, you understand how much he cherishes the friendships and connections he has made through golf, as an outstanding player and volunteer over many years, not only as president of Golf Canada.

“It was such a pleasure to meet [outstanding players such as] the Brooke Hendersons, the Corey Conners, the Taylor Pendriths, and to realize the quality of those young people, not just as athletes but as well-rounded people. For example, at the World Amateur, many people came up to me and said, ‘These are really nice kids. You should be very proud.’ And I was, as our whole country should be.”

During his tenure, Alexander remained very cognizant not only of his role as an ambassador for the game both within Canada and around the world, but as the president of a national sports organization for a game that is undeniably facing challenges not just here at home, but worldwide.

Repeatedly, he advocated making golf courses more playable, enjoyable and affordable, as well as imploring the industry to be more welcoming to families and youngsters. He understands this requires a massive initiative involving all stakeholders in the sport, from the ground up, literally.

“This is not something that is accomplished in a year. As an example, I love what we are trying to do with National Golf in Schools, but we need good linkages. How do we get the professionals and the clubs to create a pathway for those kids to follow their interest in golf, to get them and their families on the green grass?

“We’ve been building that program and others over the years and now we are reaching a critical mass where we have to work with all our partners to move the game to the next stage.”

When Doug Alexander accepted the presidency of Golf Canada, he vowed to be “a vocal advocate for the sport.” There is no doubt he has been one since those early rounds in Scotland, not just during his 12 months as president, and will continue to be one for many years to come.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Granby, Que. native Diane Barabé has been named its 2015 Volunteer of the Year. She will receive the honour at the Saturday, Feburary 14 closing dinner of the 2015 Annual General Meeting.

The roles of rules official and golf committee member are not easy. It takes a dedicated and knowledgeable individual to serve the game and teach those willing to gain a better understanding of it. Diane Barabé is one such individual.

In 1992, Barabé’s love of the sport took her beyond the links. The long-time member of the Miner Golf Club joined its Board of Directors and became involved with the Eastern Townships District of the Canadian Ladies’ Golf Association (CLGA). The organization needed a rules official to guide and manage its tournaments; Diane Barabé became that person.

Following seven years of committed service, Barabé decided her insights into the game and her understanding of its inner-workings were required elsewhere. She recognized a need at the provincial level with positions open on the Executive Committee, the Standing Rules Committee and CLGA – Quebec Branch’s Board of Directors; Again, Diane Barabé rose to the occasion.

She helped ease the transition of the Quebec Golf Association and the CLGA – Quebec Branch amalgamating to become Golf Quebec in an effort to better serve its members, clubs and stakeholders. As a certified Level 4 rules official, she served as the Chairperson of Golf Quebec’s Rules Committee from 2008 to 2012. In 2014 when the provincial organization again needed her wealth of knowledge and experience, she returned to the committee as its co-Chairperson to serve once more as Head Rules Official for a number of provincial events and to appoint rules officials for championships across Quebec.

Diane Barabé has actively demonstrated her knowledge of the rules of golf on many occasions, even becoming the first woman from Quebec to referee the Canadian Men’s Open Championship at the 2014 RBC Canadian Open at the Royal Montreal Golf Club. Just as important is the role she plays in sharing that knowledge with others. She has instructed in Golf Canada’s Level 3 and Level 4 Rules Seminars to train Canada’s next generation of rules officials.

Now in its ninth year, Golf Canada’s Volunteer of the Year award is annually presented to individuals in the community who best exemplify the national sport organization’s commitment to growing the game. Throughout her time with the sport, Barabé has consistently and selflessly shown a willingness to help where she can and the uncanny ability to be where she is needed. It is for this passion, dedication and service that Golf Canada thanks her and recognizes her as its Volunteer of the Year.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – A police detective investigating Robert Allenby’s ordeal in Hawaii said three people seen leaving a wine restaurant with him are not believed to be connected to the case and that the Australian golfer did not go to a strip club that night.

Det. John McCarthy of the Honolulu Police Department said in a telephone interview Thursday night that evidence shows Allenby was not in the Club Femme Nu in the early morning of Jan. 17 when his wallet, credit cards, cash and phone were taken.

“There is no evidence he was ever in that strip club,” McCarthy said. “Our investigation shows he was not at Club Femme Nu.”

McCarthy said several Australians were in the strip club, but not Allenby. “It was a case of mistaken identity,” he said of reports indicating Allenby was there.

Patrick Owen Harbison, 32, was arrested Wednesday on second-degree identity theft, second-degree attempted they and unauthorized possession of confidential information, police said. That part of the case has been turned over to prosecutors.

He was arrested in the Oahu Community Correctional Center where he was being held on a contempt warrant for an unrelated case. Police said Harbison has five felony convictions, including a felony drug conviction.

Still to be determined is what happened to Allenby after leaving Amuse Wine Bar on the night after he missed the cut in the Sony Open.

The saga generated interested when Allenby took a photo of his scraped and bloodied face and posted it to his Facebook page after he got back to his hotel. He first said he was beaten, robbed and thrown from the trunk of a car. He later said he was told that by a homeless woman who helped him escape from a park.

Allenby said two weeks ago at the Phoenix Open that “my story stays exactly the same,” though he had no memory of what happened during a 2 1/2-hour period from leaving the restaurant to waking up in a park that turned out to be no more than a block away.

He said video from the restaurant showed him leaving with three people he didn’t know. McCarthy said those people just happened to be leaving the restaurant at the same time, and video shows them returning minutes later.

Allenby said Thursday night that police have told him he was in the same place during the time he can’t remember. “On the ground, laid out cold,” he said. He said police learned this from talking to homeless people in the park.

One homeless man, Chris Khamis, previously told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that Allenby injured himself by passing out and hitting his head on a rock.

Allenby said a blood test four days after the incident came back negative, and that he had his head scanned to make sure there was no further injury. He said that came back clear and that he asked the doctors about his memory loss.

“Apparently if you have any concussion, it takes about six weeks for stuff to come back,” he said. “But if you’ve been drugged, they say it can never come back. I remember absolutely nothing. Trust me, every day, every night I’ve thought about it. The only reason I know I left Amuse Wine Bar is I saw the videotape. I do remember a hit into the eye, but I don’t remember what it is. The scar on my head is a fall. But did I fall from getting hit in the eye? I’ve tried and tried and can’t remember.”

Allenby returns to golf next week in Los Angeles at the Northern Trust Open. During his last two tournaments in Phoenix and San Diego – he missed the cut in both – he said he ate dinner in the hotel or ordered room service.

HUA HIN, Thailand – Miguel Jimenez bogeyed his last hole but still led the Thailand Classic by one shot after the second round at Black Mountain on Friday.

Fighting the flu, the 51-year-old Jimenez shot a 6-under-par 66 to lie at 11 under overall, edging his playing partner and local Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who eagled the par-five 2nd hole in successive days in a second straight 67.

“I am disappointed to make bogey on the last, but … you’re always happy when you’re under par – and the more under par you are, the happier you are,” Jimenez said.

“I have the flu, and I’m very bunged up and slept terribly last night, but apart from that I’m fine.”

Kiradech, 26 years Jimenez’s junior, also sprinkled his round with six birdies against three bogeys to be 10 under going into the weekend. He won his only European Tour title almost two years ago at the Malaysian Open. He has only one top 10 since then.

Richard Lee of Canada, who finished fifth in Malaysia last week, carded 67 to stay in contention for another week. He was two off the lead and tied with Scott Hend of Australia (68), and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand (66).

“Just one bogey is good, especially on a course like this,” Lee said. “The greens are really tricky.

“I came off a win last year, and I’ve been in good form. I’m pretty surprised with the results.”

After an opening 64, overnight leader Michael Hoey of Northern Ireland settled with par and a total at 8 under in a four-way tie for sixth.