Marco Penge tied at the top of the leaderboard

Marco Penge started his round four shots off the lead and fired two eagles at the par-4 10th and par-5 12th as well as five birdies and a double bogey at the par-5 6th to close with a 65, reach 12-under and take a share of the lead into the final day at the Hainan Classic.

“I started off great. My approach play was really good today. I was hitting it in close early doors,” said the Englishman. I was three under through five and then I tried to take the sixth on and hit driver off the deck, and probably hit one of the worst shots I’ve ever hit. But after that everything was solid.

“It’s a great golf course, obviously it’s playing pretty long. I feel like courses like this obviously suit me because I’m a long hitter but you’ve got to still hit it in play so you can’t just stand there and smash it. You’ve got to hit your shots wisely.

“Just all round, it’s great. The greens are really small as well, which is quite uncommon for a long golf course. It’s just a real out and out test.”

"When I was off, I made some big changes to my team."

Hear from co-leader Marco Penge as he assesses where he's at ahead of the final round.#HainanClassic

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) April 26, 2025

China’s Bowen Xiao carded a flawless 65 for his share of the lead.

“I am very happy with how I played on this course,” said Xiao. “I finished the round without a bogey so for me, it really is a perfect day.

“The front nine was actually pretty steady and it wasn’t until the back nine that I slowly started to get things going.”

New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier made an eagle at the par-5 12th as well as five birdies and three bogeys for a 68 and lies in solo third place at 11-under.

England’s Sam Bairstow made a single bogey and recorded a 68 to take a share of fourth place at 10-under alongside France’s Martin Couvra who made a double bogey at the par-5 2nd and shot a 69 as well as Australian Elvis Smylie who carded a 70 having made two bogeys.

American Sean Crocker who held the overnight lead made three birdies and four bogeys for a 73 and lies in T9 at 8-under.

Related: Vilamoura Golf: The No-Brainer Golf Getaway

Looking for your next golf getaway? Vilamoura in Portugal serves up sun, scenic fairways, and top-tier courses, including the iconic Old Course and the soon-to-launch Els Club. Throw in great food, buzzing nightlife, and luxury digs, and you’ve got the ultimate Algarve escape.

For the latest news in the golfing world, follow us on X.