AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese golfer Li Zhi delivered an impressive performance in the third round of the 2026 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Te Arai Links on Saturday, carding a five-under-par 66, the best score of the third round, to move up to eighth place with a three-round total of 214.
"Today I played pretty well. The wind was relatively lighter, so my course management and approach shots were better than in the previous two days," Li said.
Li's putting was particularly sharp, as he made three consecutive birdies from the 16th through the 18th holes.
Wu Qiyou, who had been inside the top 10 for the previous two rounds, struggled on Saturday, carding a 79 to drop to a tie for 22nd with a total of 220.
Zhou Ziqin, who is making his fifth appearance at the championship, and Hou Zenghao both carded 71 to sit tied for 24th at 221.
Wang Yixiang, who struggled in the second round, bounced back with a 69 to climb to a tie for 33rd at 223.
New Zealand's Zack Swanwick took the lead with a 67, bringing his three-round total to seven under par 206 and giving him a two-shot advantage. The 20-year-old is currently 24th in the world amateur rankings.
"I feel really confident now," said Swanwick, who went fishing after his round on Friday. "I kind of know where the ball is going. I know how far it's going. Putting is starting to feel really good. Everything feels really good. Just go at it."
Defending champion Fifa Laopakdee of Thailand carded a 73 to share second place at five-under-par 208 with New Zealand's Cooper Moore, who also remains in contention, two shots behind Swanwick heading into Sunday's final round. ■
