New Zealand golfer Steven Alker is back in contention on the PGA Tour Champions in California.
Alker carded a four-under 68 in the opening round of the Hoag Classic at the Newport Beach Country Club on Friday (Saturday NZ Time) to be tied for seventh, three shots behind the leader, Australian Brendan Jones.
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Fresh off his playoff victory at the Cologuard Classic two weeks ago, Alker immediately got into red numbers with birdies at the par-four second and par-five third.
After a string of pars, he bogeyed the par-four 10th but surged up the leaderboard with three birdies in his last four holes - the 15th, 17th and 18th.
Alker tees off his second round at the 54-hole tournament at 11.55pm local time (7.55am Sunday NZT).
Fellow Kiwi Nick Voke is also in the top-10 heading into the final round of the Asian Tour's International Series Macau tournament.
Voke made eight birdies and two bogeys in his six-under 64 in the third round at the Macau Golf and Country Club on Saturday, lifting him into a share of eighth at nine-under, seven strokes off the lead.
The 30-year-old made four birdies in his first six holes, before a bogey at the par-four seventh. He followed it up with four birdies on the back-nine, at the 10th, 12th, 15th and 18th holes.
Compatriot Denzel Ieremia dropped four shots in his last seven holes in a one-over 71 to drop into a tie for 31st at five-under. He made four birdies in the first 10 holes and was primed to be well inside the top-10 before the late bogeys.
At the PGA Tour's Valspar Championship in Florida, New Zealand No 1 Ryan Fox made the weekend cut but continued to tumble down the leaderboard during the third round on Saturday (Sunday NZT).
Fox had a birdie, two bogeys and a double-bogey in a three-over 74 in the second round, making the cut by two strokes, before following it up with another 74, featuring three birdies, four bogeys and a double-bogey, on day three.
From the top-10 after the opening round, Fox dropped to 39th after the second round and a tie for 67th with half the field still on the course in the third round.
It was bad news for NZ golfers on the other side of the Tasman, with most going backwards at the PGA Tour of Australasia's Heritage Classic and WPGA Tour Australasia's Women's NSW Open.
Tyler Hodge, last week's winner on the Charles Tour and the 36-hole co-leader, fell to a tie for 20th at 11-under, six shots off the lead, after an even-par 72 on Saturday.
Kerry Mountcastle (four-under 68) and Tyler Wood (three-under 69) went in a positive direction, to both move up to a share of 31st at eight-under, while Jimmy Zheng slipped into a tie for 50th at four-under with a one-over 73.
Amelia Garvey dropped to T47 after an even-par 71, while Wenyung Keh and Momoka Kobori also posted 71s to move up to T59, and Hanee Song managed a one-over 72, falling three places to T64.
On the DP World Tour, Daniel Hillier is tied for 38th and Kazuma Kobori 46th going into the third and final round at the rain-shortened Singapore Classic.
Hillier posted five birdies, a bogey and double-bogey in a two-under 70 in the second round on Saturday to be seven shots off the pace. Kobori had five birdies and four bogeys in a one-under 71, sitting a further stroke back.
Taranaki's Sam Jones also dropped at the HotelPlanner Tour's Delhi Challenge, down to a share of 24th, despite a two-under 70, which five birdies and three bogeys, in the third round on Saturday.