Tianjin, China: Brett Rumford of Australia shot a 3-under 69 on Saturday to lead by one stroke after the third round of the China Open, while 16-year-old Dou Zecheng of China trailed by 10 strokes after a 72.
Conditions were windy on the Binhai Lake Golf Club course as Rumford moved to 12 under, one stroke ahead of Mikko Ilonen (73). The Finn led by three shots at the halfway mark.
"It was a really tough day and a very tiring day, and I really started to feel it on the back nine," Rumford said.
Amateur Dou Zecheng became the youngest at 16 to make the tournament cut on Friday after rounds of 70-72.
Pablo Larrazabal of Spain was at 10 under after a 69, making four straight birdies from No. 10 but dropping two strokes in his last five holes. Paul Casey of England, the 2006 China Open champion, bogeyed four of his closing six holes to shoot 72 and trailed by seven shots.
Rumford is seeking to become the third Australian to win back-to-back tournaments in the 41-year history of the European Tour. He ended a six-year drought at the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea last week.
Jack Newton (1972) and Graham Marsh (1977) are the only Aussies to have won consecutively on tour.
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