Van Pelt in the lead

CIMB Classic defending champion Bo Van Pelt of the Unites States flirted with a magical 59 before double-bogeying the last hole at the Mines Resort and Golf Country yesterday.
   He was 11 under par 71 through 17 and was going for his 12th birdie of the day on the final hole to claim the 59, but landed in the bunker in front of a packed gallery on the 18th.
  He then three-putted to finish his round on 62 for a 16-under 197 to be tied with countryman Robert Garrigus who had a 69 yesterday.
 Garrigus overcame a sluggish start by finishing with three closing birdies.
  South African Jbe Kruger, third on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit, kept himself in the title hunt with a 69 putting him two strokes back while India’s rising star Gaganjeet Bhullar fired a fine 65 for tied 10th place.
  "Obviously, 59 was on the mind for a little bit but probably the biggest shot of the day was the first hole. I hit driver the first two days and played the hole one over so I decided to lay up, and I was still behind the tree.  Hit a really good pitching wedge, got it up over the tree, had a 15 footer and made it.
  "That just kind of got the day started off on the right foot," said the leader.
  He didn't miss a fairway in the front nine yesterday, and only the 18th was troublesome for him.
 "I drove the ball in play and I don't think I missed a fairway on the front nine. My irons were pretty sharp, and the putter, I had been close all week, and today (yesterday) they were going in. They weren't burning the edge. I told myself that everybody else was out there making birdies so don't be complacent.
  "Obviously, going into 18, I had a chance to shoot 59. I played the 18th hole well yesterday as I made a tap in birdie there.
  "I was just trying to really focus on my tee ball. It's a tough tee shot and I was really proud of the tee shot that I hit.  It's probably one of the best ones that I hit all day, and unfortunately I just went a little too far."
  He seems to really like the Mines course: "A lot of holes just fit my eye.  You can hit driver a lot here.  I feel like the driver is a strength of my game.  I like to be able to hit it a lot.  It's obviously hot and the heat gets to everybody, but I've lived in Oklahoma for almost 20 years, and it gets very hot and very humid there.  So I'm not immune to the heat, but I think I'm maybe more used to it than where some of the other American golfers live."