SINGAPORE – The LIV Golf players competing in the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times field still have a lot of work to do on Sunday to climb the leaderboard and secure a spot in The Open Championship. Qualification for The Open Championship, taking place this summer at Royal Birkdale, will be a central theme in the final round. The tournament in Singapore is part of the Open Qualifying Series, with the two leading players not otherwise qualified earning entry into golf's oldest major. Fireballs GC’s Josele Ballester and Legion XIII’s Caleb Surratt are the league's leading contenders. Both are T12 at 4-under overall, but nine shots behind leader Jeongwoo Ham of Korea. Other LIV Golf players looking to improve are RangeGoats GC’s Peter Uihlein, Fireballs GC’s Luis Masaveu, and LIV Golf Wild Card player Bjorn Hellgren, all of whom are T17.
Ham began this week outside Korea as an unknown quantity. However, that has changed with each passing day of this prestigious event, held on The Serapong at Sentosa Golf Club. He shot a 3-under 68 today for a 13-under total, securing his lead for the third consecutive day on what was once again a sweltering and humid day. The 31-year-old holds a four-shot lead over Australia’s Cameron John in this International Series event, one of the expanded Asian Tour tournaments that provides a pathway to the LIV Golf League. Jeongwoo Ham of Korea, pictured during the third round of the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times at Sentosa Golf Club, The Serapong. (Photo courtesy of the Asian Tour) John carded a 67, the joint lowest round of the day, while Japan’s Tomohiro Ishizaka is another shot back in third place with a 70. France’s Julien Sale shot a 69 for fourth place. Ham was once again unflappable today, delivering a putting masterclass. After starting the day with a two-shot lead over Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond, he extended it to three shots at the ninth, before moving four shots clear following a birdie on the 10th hole. The Korean got lucky on the par-4 13th, one of the course's toughest holes, when his tee shot came to rest just short of the water. He capitalized by placing his second shot within 15 feet and sinking it for birdie. He followed this with another birdie on the subsequent par 3, holing a putt of similar length, before impressing again by saving par on the next hole thanks to an 8-foot putt. From there, he played par until the end, carding a total of five birdies and two bogeys. “It feels great because my name is always at the top and the other players aren't overtaking me. I hope this b
