Murdaca one step closer to Augusta dream

South Australia's Antonio Murdaca holds an eight-shot lead heading into the final round of the Asian-Pacific Amateur Championship, where the winner will play the 2015 Masters.

BY STEVE KEIPERT at ROYAL MELBOURNE

Don't expect Antonio Murdaca to sleep easy tonight. The Adelaide teenager turned this edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship into what looks like a one-horse race with a dominant performance at Royal Melbourne today.

But nothing is granted around the famed Composite course.

Antonio Murdaca lines up a putt during his third round. PHOTO: Dave Tease/AAC

A five-under 67 that contained a near-albatross swelled Murdaca's lead from one stroke overnight to a commanding eight-shot buffer with one round to play. The winner receives an invitation to the Masters next April and direct entry into final qualifying at the Open Championship and Murdaca can justifiably have Georgia on his mind.

His 67 was the equal-best round on a cool, breezy Saturday. He bogeyed only one hole and plucked four birdies and an eagle from the layout on a day when his closest pursuers retreated. Murdaca has lowered his score by a stroke each day in a controlled yet relentless performance that sees him 12-under-par.

The highlight came at the reachable par-5 17th. With 221 metres for his second shot, Murdaca struck a perfectly faded 4-iron that bounded onto the green and missed the flag by inches before resting a few feet away. The eagle punctuated an enormously satisfying round in testing conditions.

"I'm quite excited," Murdaca said. "I'm just going to come out tomorrow [with the] same mindset as today and hope I can have another great round. I was feeling quite confident to start the week. I've always felt that my game is there. You've just got to go and make sure I hit the right shots and leave myself in the right positions, and I feel like this week I'm really doing that."

Taiwan's Cheng-tsung Pan finished runner-up in this event in 2012. He is eight shots behind Murdaca in a share of second place. PHOTO: Brett Crockford/AAC.

The dominance of Murdaca is excellent news for a tournament that cried out for Australian dominance, yet the leader's work is far from over. The last player to hold an eight-stroke 54-hole lead at Royal Melbourne was Ernie Els at the Heineken Classic a decade ago when he opened with a course-record 60. That Sunday, however, the South African squandered his entire eight-shot advantage in just nine holes before holding on to win by one from Adam Scott. Sometimes sleeping on big leads can make the pillow feel like soft down; other times like cold lead.

"Both won't be too easy," Murdaca said of holding big leads and small leads, as he's held the past two rounds. "I'm pretty confident, so I'm hopefully going to have a good night's sleep and a good rest and good recovery session tonight followed by some dinner. I'm feeling quite good."

Three players sit at four-under, including Victorian Todd Sinnott who shot 74. His progress was hampered by three early bogeys. China's Cheng Jin threw down an early challenge with three birdies in the first six holes but that good work was undone by four bogeys thereafter. Sinnott, Cheng and Taiwan's Cheng-tsung Pan share second place, one ahead of another trio of players at three-under. Those six players will need equal doses of skill and luck to raise the trophy tomorrow afternoon.

LEADERBOARD

1. Antonio Murdaca (SA) 69-68-67–204

T2. Cheng-tsung Pan (Tai) 73-68-71–212

T2. Cheng Jin (PRC) 71-69-72–212

T2. Todd Sinnott (Vic) 67-71-74–212

T5. Mikumu Horikawa (Jpn) 75-71-67–213

T5. Geoff Drakeford (Vic) 73-71-69–213

T5. Joshua Munn (NZ) 74-67-72–213

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T10. Cory Crawford (Qld) 71-72-74–217

T10. Ryan Ruffels (Vic) 71-71-75–217

T18. Jarryd Felton (WA) 73-71-74–218