Chiba prefecture, Japan, May 11: Japan’s Yosuke Asaji will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup after he posted a three-under-par 68 at the Sobu Country Club on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Japanese is seeking his first professional win since joining the play-for-pay ranks in 2011 and knows he has to stay on top of his game despite taking the third round lead with his three-day total of four-under-par 209.

New Zealand’s Denzel Ieremia, who comes from a family of sporting stars, made his move by firing a flawless 66 to share second place with Micah Lauren Shin of the United States.

Shin lost grip of his overnight lead after marking his card with two birdies, one bogey and a double bogey for a 72.

Zimbabwean Scott Vincent meanwhile returned with a 68 to give himself another chance for his maiden breakthrough on the Asian Tour.

Vincent, together with Korea’s Y.E. Yang, and Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma are bunched in fourth place, three shots back of Asaji.

The Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup is the Asian Tour’s first stop in Japan this season and second of four co-sanctioned events with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO) this year.

Did you know?

• Yosuke Asaji turned professional in 2012. His best result at the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup came in 2017 when he finished tied-10^th.
• Asaji’s best result since turning professional came in 2018 when he finished tied-fourth at the Kansai Open Golf Championship on the JGTO.
• Denzel Ieremia comes from a rich sporting family where his uncle, Alama is a famous All Black.
• Ieremia graduated with a finance degree from the Iowa State University and turned professional in February this year.
• He played rugby when I was younger but claims he ‘was too small and everybody smashed me’ and decided to play golf instead.
• Micah Lauren Shin is based in Davao and came through Qualifying School in 2017. He made his breakthrough that same year when he won the Resorts World Manila Masters.
• Shin’s tournament winner’s exemption ends this season and he needs to finish inside the top-60 on the Order of Merit to keep his card.
• Scott Vincent came through Qualifying School in 2016. He did not miss a single cut in six tournaments that year and in 2017, he notched three top-three results to finish in 17^th place on the Merit rankings to retain his playing rights.
• He finished fifth on the Habitat for Humanity Standings in 2018, thanks to nine top-10 results – the most number of top-10s made by a player without a win last season.
• The winner of the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup will qualify for The 148^th Open which will be held at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland in July.

Ends.