Benjamin Herbert takes China lead after back nine 28

Benjamin Hebert produced an incredible back nine of 28 to open up a three-shot lead heading into the final round of the Volvo China Open.

The Frenchman was well off the pace when he turned in level par 36 but made six birdies and an eagle from the 10th to get to 17 under and lead the way from Spain’s Jorge Campillo and Finn Mikko Korhonen.

Home hero and 2015 champion Wu Ashun had led by four with a birdie on the 10th but four bogeys in a row from the 12th saw him slip back to 13 under.

Hebert has been a prolific winner on the Challenge Tour, with six victories on the second-tier circuit, but will be going for his first European Tour win on Sunday.

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“I played very badly on the front nine where I didn’t feel good in my swing,” he told europeantour.com. “I just tried to keep focused on what I’m doing and I found my rhythm on the back nine so I’m happy.

“I don’t want to look ahead, I just want to focus on the rest of my day, my rest and see what happens tomorrow.”

Stunning approaches to the 10th and 11th got the ball rolling for Hebert before he got up and down from the side of the green at the par-five 13th for another birdie.

Wonderful iron shots into the 15th and 16th had him in a share of the lead before he eagled the par-five 17th after finding the green in two and birdied the driveable par-four last.

Ryder Cup player Victor Dubuisson was at 12 under, with England’s Jordan Smith in the group two shots further back.

Collated third round scores & totals in the European Tour Volvo China Open (Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 72):

(a) denotes amateurs

199 Benjamin Hebert (Fra) 67 68 64

202 Jorge Campillo (Spa) 65 69 68, Mikko Korhonen (Fin) 68 69 65

203 Ashun Wu (Chn) 66 65 72

204 Victor Dubuisson (Fra) 68 68 68

205 Tapio Pulkkanen (Fin) 65 68 72, Nacho Elvira (Spa) 68 69 68

206 Haotong Li (Chn) 67 73 66, Adilson Da Silva (Bra) 72 69 65, Jordan Smith 67 70 69, Romain Langasque (Fra) 67 69 70, Erik Van Rooyen (Rsa) 68 68 70, Min Woo Lee (Aus) 69 67 70

207 Cheng Jin (Chn) 69 69 69, Marcel Siem (Ger) 71 67 69, Jacques Kruyswijk (Rsa) 70 67 70, Jazz Janewattananond (Tha) 70 71 66, Miguel Tabuena (Phl) 67 75 65, Tirawat Kaewsiribandit (Tha) 68 74 65, Yuta Ikeda (Jpn) 68 71 68, David Lipsky (USA) 65 72 70, Gavin Green (Mal) 67 72 68

208 Sam Horsfield 70 69 69, Enqi Liang (a) (Chn) 70 72 66, Richard T Lee (Can) 70 69 69, Sean Crocker (USA) 68 68 72, Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 69 71 68, Louis De Jager (Rsa) 72 68 68, Paul Peterson (USA) 69 72 67

209 Zach Murray (Aus) 70 71 68, Mike Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 67 71 71, Alexander Bjork (Swe) 70 70 69, Panuphol Pittayarat (Tha) 70 71 68, Haydn Porteous (Rsa) 69 73 67, Nicolas Colsaerts (Bel) 68 72 69, Scott Jamieson 68 69 72, Jason Scrivener (Aus) 70 66 73, Julian Suri (USA) 69 72 68

210 Richie Ramsay 69 71 70, Micah Lauren Shin (USA) 69 70 71, Wen-chong Liang (Chn) 71 70 69, Ajeetesh Sandhu (Ind) 74 67 69, John Catlin (USA) 66 76 68

211 Adri Arnaus (Spa) 75 65 71, Joachim B. Hansen (Den) 69 73 69, Berry Henson (USA) 70 70 71, Jack Singh Brar 68 73 70, Yechun Yuan (Chn) 68 71 72, Sam Brazel (Aus) 68 71 72, Yang Kuang (a) (Chn) 71 71 69, James Morrison 71 69 71

212 Hong-fu Wu (Chn) 68 73 71, Matthieu Pavon (Fra) 68 69 75, Fabrizio Zanotti (Pry) 68 72 72, Guido Migliozzi (Spa) 73 68 71, Wade Ormsby (Aus) 72 70 70, Aaron Rai 71 70 71

213 Jian-feng Ye (Chn) 72 68 73

214 S.S.P Chawrasia (Ind) 71 71 72, Malcolm Kokocinski (Swe) 69 73 72, Kalle Samooja (Fin) 71 71 72, Daniel Van Tonder (Rsa) 73 69 72, Stuart Manley 68 70 76

216 Romain Wattel (Fra) 70 72 74

217 Khalin Joshi (Ind) 69 70 78

218 Scott Hend (Aus) 68 70 80

219 Guxin Chen (a) (Chn) 70 72 77

220 Scott Vincent (Zim) 70 72 78