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Oliver Wilson leads HSBC
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-11-09 15:28
Shanghai -- England's Oliver Wilson was the surprise leader on Sunday after three rounds of the rain-delayed HSBC Champions tournament.


Oliver Wilson of Britain tees off on the second hole during the second round of the HSBC Champions golf tournament in Shanghai November 8, 2008. [Agencies]


Wilson shot a 3-under 69 for a three-round total of 12-under 204. That put him one shot ahead of Geoff Ogilvy of Australia (70) and two ahead of American Phil Mickelson (70), Henrik Stenson of Sweden (72) and Spain's Sergio Garcia (72).

Adam Scott of Australia (71) and Charl Schwartzel of South Africa (67) were four shots off the pace.

The final round of the joint European Tour and Asian Tour event will be played over Sunday and Monday.

All play was washed out on Friday. That pushed the second round and first few holes of the third back to Saturday. Competitors will play about 27 holes Sunday, completing the third round and beginning the fourth, with the finish on Monday.

"Anytime you're in the lead, it's got to be the best place to be," said Wilson, who teamed up with Stenson in the Ryder Cup to beat a team of Mickelson and Anthony Kim in foursomes.

"It (the Ryder Cup) has proved to me and everyone else that I can do it when it matters," added Wilson, who has yet to win on the European Tour.

Ogilvy, who played two holes of his third round on Saturday, only seems to win big events. He won the U.S. Open in 2006 and has two wins in the World Golf Championships. He has won little else of significance.

That makes this event ideal for him, which includes 10 of the world's top-20 ranked players. There's also a $5 million purse and talk of the event eventually being added to the WGC circuit.

"I don't know why I play well in big tournaments," Ogilvy said. "Just one of those things. I wish I could explain it because if I could work it out I would do it in all tournaments."

Ogilvy's only win this season came on Monday in Miami at the CA Championship, a World Golf Championships event.

Garcia had a chance to lead after three rounds, but stumbled on the back nine.

The Spaniard was the leader at 12-under after 10 holes, but missed a 4-foot putt to save par on 11. He never quite recovered with two more bogeys on the back nine.

This is a watershed tournament for the Spaniard.

Garcia is ranked No. 3 behind Tiger Woods and Mickelson and has a chance to go to No. 2 if he finishes in the top three. He's won twice this year and he's been second -- or tied for second -- three times.

If Garcia wins the tournament, the No. 2 spot is his. If he finishes second, Mickelson needs to finish at least fourth to keep his No. 2 spot. If Garcia finishes third, the American will hold on by finishing at least 15th.

Anthony Kim was disqualified Sunday for playing with an altered driver.

Kim, part of the United States' Ryder Cup victory over Europe two months ago, accidentally hit a sprinkler head as he tapped his driver on the ground while walking down the seventh fairway.

At the eighth, he hit his first drive only 150 yards, and out of bounds. He then hit a second provisional shot, also poorly. He took a triple-bogey 8 on the hole and played two more before he found a rules official, who told him he must disqualify himself for playing with an altered club.

Kim had an 8-over 44 on the front nine, and parred the 10th hole. He entered the third round at 5 under, five strokes behind the leaders, with rounds of 66-73.