Denmark’s Anders Hansen put himself on course for a first European Tour win in five years as the final round of The Championship at Laguna National began in Singapore.
The 43 year old, playing only his fourth event since a six month absence due to wrist surgery, started the day level with Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat but surged ahead with a hat-trick of birdies from the second.
The three-time European Tour winner had to overcome a bogey at the first after missing a par putt from inside five feet.
However, pitches to three feet at the second and third set up birdies and a 20 foot putt at the fourth took him to 18 under par for the week.
That was two ahead of American David Lipsky, who birdied the first and third courtesy of a couple of good approaches to inside six feet.
Pittayarat was a shot further back in third on 15 under - a missed five footer at the second leaving him one over for the day and level with Chris Wood.
The Englishman had a birdie from three feet at the first and converted an eight footer at the fourth to be two under for his round.
Hansen added further birdies from five feet at the sixth and 12 feet at the seventh to go four clear, but Lipsky responded with gains at the eighth and ninth to bring the gap back down to two.
Chile’s Felipe Aguilar, who led the tournament before finding water and double bogeying the 13th during round three, had a hat-trick of gains to start the back nine and as a result moved into sole possession of third on 17 under.
Aguilar made it four birdies in a row at the 13th to join Lipsky on 18 under, but the 43 year old Hansen holed form 15 feet on the 12th to pull three clear of his nearest pursuers, who were themselves another three shots better off than the remainder of the chasing pack.
