American Lexi Thompson, who is seeking to rebound from a playoff loss last week, fired a five-under par 64 to grab a slim lead after a rain-hit third round of the Meijer Classic Saturday. Thompson reached a 15-under 196 total and leads by one over a myriad of golfers including South Koreans Park Sung-hyun, Jenny Shin, Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa, and overnight leader Brooke Henderson of Canada. "It was just a matter of staying patient," said Thompson, who lost to Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn in the playoff at the Manulife Classic. "I knew I was hitting it well on the front nine, I just wasn't making the birdies. "But I hit it well all day, so it was all a matter of hitting the shots closer and I guess just taking advantage of No. 11, reaching that one in two, and making a few putts for birdie," said Thompson who had six birdies and one bogey. The golfers had to endure a two-hour rain delay at the Blythefield Country Club course. Pace dominated a course softened by rain with an eight-under 61. Park shot a 62 and Shin a 63. Henderson, who led after each of the first two rounds, fell out of first place after a second-round 67 but remained within striking distance of her first win of 2017. The course was reduced to a par 69 after heavy rains turned the par-five fifth hole into a par three because of pools of water. Pace, 36, began the day at two under but picked up five shots on the front nine with three birdies and an eagle. After a bogey to start the back nine, she made another eagle at 11. Fung claims maiden Asian title Malaysia's Nicholas Fung clinched his first Asian Tour title at the Queen's Cup in Thailand on Sunday with a solid putt on the 18th hole that sealed his one-shot victory. The triumph marked a career breakthrough for Fung, who had failed to achieve a top-10 finish in the previous eight tournaments this season. The slight 27-year-old carded a steady 66-68-68-67 during the $500,000 tournament on the southern Thai island of Samui, where conditions were often blustery. Fung, who started the final round one shot ahead, briefly fell out of the lead after bogeying his second hole. But he overcame nerves to land five birdies and the final four-foot putt, sealing his spot at the top of the leaderboard. On Fung's heels was local rookie and rising star Jazz Janewattananond, who took second place with two bogey-free final rounds, coming in one stroke behind at 270. It was the 21-year-old's second best finish of the year after winning his own maiden Asian Tour title at the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open. "It's a new life for me now as at last I've achieved a win," Fung said in comments supplied by the tour organizers. Fung took home $90,000 from the tournament and slid up to 13th place on the Order of Merit with $122,007. — Agencies
