ISPS HANDA Japan-Australasia Championship Round 3

Ryan Peake is in pole position to claim his second major New Zealand title in just over a year after seizing the outright lead during the third round in Auckland. The West Australian carded a 5-under-par 67 to move to 13-under-par overall, building a two-stroke cushion heading into the final round.

Peake’s day was a model of consistency for the first 14 holes, as he snared six birdies without a bogey to lead by as many as four shots before two late bogeys "stung" his finish. The chasing pack is led by James Marchesani and local star Kazuma Kobori, who both sit at 11-under-par.

Kobori electrified the home gallery by racing up the leaderboard with four straight birdies to close out his round, while Marchesani’s steady 66 has put him in a prime position to potentially wrap up the Order of Merit title tomorrow. The round of the day, however, belonged to 17-year-old amateur member Ryan Xie, who matched the course record with a sensational 8-under-par 64 to sit in a massive group tied for fourth at 10-under.

This pack also includes host club favorite Nick Voke, who recovered from a slow start to finish with consecutive birdies and keep his dreams of a home-club victory alive.