Kuala Lumpur, September 20:

Nepali professional golfers Deepak Thapa Magar and Deepak Neupane had another horrible round on the third day of the Fortis International Challenge here at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club today.

The Nepal’s No 2 Thapa Magar and No 3 Neupane had a round of 75 in the third round and are at the bottom of the 18-nation tournament. The duo carded even-par 72 on the first day and returned a card of five-over 77 in the second round on Friday.

Mars Pucay produced a spectacular display to propel the Philippines into the lead. Playing alongside Angelo Que, Pucay hit seven birdies in the fourball better ball format as the Filipinos combined for an eight-under-par 64 to overhaul overnight leader Korea in the World Cup qualifying tournament.

Bae Sang-moon and Kim Hyung-tae slipped one stroke back after a 67 while Nigeria’s Oyebanji Gboyega and Odoh Andrew Oche kept their dreams alive by staying in third place. Que hailed Pucay for taking them to the top of the leaderboard on 15-under-par 201. “I worked only in three or four holes. It was all Mars today,” said Que, who is a two-time Asian Tour champion.

With the top three teams earning tickets to November’s World Cup in China, Italy’s Edoardo and Francesco Molinari and Singaporeans Lam Chih Bing and Mardan Mamat were well in the hunt in tied fourth place on 206, one behind Nigeria.

SCORES AFTER THIRD ROUND: 201 - Philippines; 202 - Korea; 205 - Nigeria; 206 - Singapore and Italy; 208 - Malaysia and Hong Kong; 210 - Myanmar, Pakistan and Uganda; 211 - Indonesia and Swaziland;

212 - Kenya; 213 - Sri Lanka; 218 - Bangladesh and Ghana; 220 - Brunei; 224 - Nepal.