Kirk, Herman tied for lead in Moonah Classic

Americans Chris Kirk and Jim Herman will head into the final round of the Moonah Classic locked together and four shots clear of the field after Kirk vaulted into contention with a superb seven-under 65 in the toughest conditions of the event so far at Moonah Links.

Kirk began his third round tied 27th, 10 strokes adrift of Herman at two-under, but a bogey-free display that included four birdies in five holes on the front nine saw him rocket up the leaderboard to nine-under at the Nationwide Tour co-sanctioned tournament.

The Knoxville native led outright a couple of times late in the afternoon after a faltering Herman leaked three shots on the front nine but Herman largely held it together after the turn and his birdie at the 15th saw him eventually finish with a 75 that drew him level with Kirk.

The southeast winds blew much harder on Saturday at the Mornington Peninsula layout, gusting at least 40kmh with temperatures in the low 20s but the forecast for Sunday is for the wind to ease on the way to a top of 28 degrees.

Jarrod Lyle (72), who beat Kirk in a playoff to win the Nationwide Tour's Knoxville Open in 2008, defending champion Alistair Presnell (70) and last-start New Zealand Open runner-up Andrew Dodt (68) are the nearest challengers to the leaders, along with American Scott Gutschewski (71).

But locals Scott Laycock (71), Anthony Brown (71), Andre Stolz (74), Andrew Buckle (75) and Steve Jones (77), Kiwi Phil Tataurangi (70), Argentine Fabian Gomez (75) and Americans Joe Affrunti (70), Tag Ridings (71), Doug Labelle (74) and NZ Open winner Robert Gates (69) are tied for seventh place on four-under.

Kirk, who started with a 70 and could then only add a 72 on Friday as he bogeyed the final two holes, missed an early putt for birdie before grabbing three-straight birdies and four in five holes from the 2nd.

And when he birdied the 10th and 12th holes he was briefly threatening Herman's course-record 62 from Thursday before settling for his 65 with a seventh birdie at 15, although it could have even been one better with a long birdie putt at the 18th hitting the cup but bouncing out.

"I was lucky to have a real good feel for it all day, how much the wind was going to affect it and hit a lot of solid shots," Kirk said.

"I think the key for me (is) I always try to tell myself when it's a really windy day like that is to never hit one hard."

"It (the wind) was just blowing that much harder (today), I don't know if it was 10mph harder or something like that but it was just to the point where it was affecting the putts and it was really just affecting everything."

Having set a new course record with a 10-under 62 on Thursday that didn't include any bogeys, and gone another 18 holes on Friday with a solid 70 that likewise contained no blemishes as he moved to 12-under, Herman finally dropped a shot at the 1st on Saturday.

But further dropped shots at the 6th, 7th and 11th holes threatened to send Herman right back into the pack with Gomez and Herman's playing partner Jones others who had closed to within a shot of the lead at one stage.

His first birdie at the 12th stemmed the tide only for him to bogey 13 but playing the final five holes one-under thanks to a second birdie at the 15th has at least given Herman the chance to start the final round level with Kirk.

Herman lamented that after landing his approach to the 1st on the green only for it to spin back off the cut surface and then missing birdie putts at the next three holes he began to press a little harder which led to the further dropped shots but he was pleased to arrest the slide coming home.

Of the New Zealanders to make the cut Phil Tataurangi (71, 71, 70) is sitting in a tie for seventh on four under, five back from the leaders. Tataurangi is closely followed by fellow kiwis Gareth Paddison (68, 71, 74) on three under and Bradley Iles (68, 74, 72) two under.

Moonah Classic - Round Three Scores