MATTHEW CHEUNG STILL IN CONTENTION TWO SHOTS BEHIND
Round one joint-leader Anirban Lihiri has returned to the top of the Link Hong Kong Open (LHKO) 2026 leaderboard after a solid third round 66-total. Accompanied by three others – John Catlin, Thomas Pieters, and Caleb Surratt – another dramatic finish looks to be on the cards as the 65th edition of the longest running professional sports event in Hong Kong reaches its climax.
The 18-time professional tour champion Lahiri said: “Looks like it’s going to be a shootout tomorrow. There are four guys at 14, I think. We’ve played a lot, and the leaders are proven winners, world-class golfers. I’ve just got to focus on what I need to do. I think I have a pretty good idea on what to expect from the golf course, I have a good idea of where my game is at. I just need to execute, stay patient, stay focused, leave myself in places where I can be aggressive, and you know, make a few putts coming in.”
American Catlin, whose third round featured six birdies and one bogey, commented: “I was just staying steady, continuing fine tuning things. It is nice to make some more putts. My coach and I were trying to tighten things up, and it is nice seeing some of the fruits of that. I have been hitting better and better, it has been good so far. One more day! There are 18 more holes to go, a lot of great golfers, I will need to make a lot of birdies out there, it is a very tight leaderboard.”
Overnight leader Matthew Cheung battled to sustain his form for a third day as he carded a two-over-par 72-total to lie fifth with one round to go. At 12-under-par, two shots off the lead, the 31-year-old is still in contention to become the first Hong Konger to win the flagship event of the Asian Tour.
Cheung said: “If you had asked me at the start of the week I would be two shots off the lead going into the last round, I would be ecstatic. I didn’t have the best day out there but I grinded it out, got a good birdie on the 17th to keep myself in it. It is definitely a bit of pressure but also motivation to play with the guys who were in my group. They are some of the best players in the world, and comparing myself to them, I know I will get there. I will now go practice a bit more, eat some good food, and be ready for tomorrow.”
Cheung’s Asian Games team mate Jason Hak Shunyat enjoyed his best round of the week so far with a four-under-par 66 to climb to joint-23rd place, while recent Fanling classic champion Issac Lam and two-time professional tour winner Taichi Kho are in joint-51st place at four-under-par 206-total after three rounds.
The Hong Kong Open is the city’s oldest professional sporting event – joining only one other club worldwide as hosts of the same tournament for over six decades, the other being Augusta National Golf Club and the US Masters. LHKO 2026 champion will earn an automatic invitation to compete at the Masters at Augusta National and a direct starting spot as part of the Open Qualifying Series at St Andrews in 2027, making the event one of the most important and appealing to players on the Asian Tour.