Lee Westwood moves into contention in Thailand as Jamie Donaldson slips

Lee Westwood revived his hopes of claiming a third Thailand Golf Championship title as Jamie Donaldson struggled on the third day at Amata Spring Country Club.

Clement Sordet fired a best-of-the-day 63 to move to 16 under and open up a two-shot lead over Donaldson, who laboured to an erratic 71, while Westwood is just three back heading into the final round after carding a superb 64.

Frenchman Sordet stormed to the turn in 31 with five birdies in seven holes, and he picked up another shot at the 12th before hitting the top of the leaderboard with an eagle at the long 15th.

The 23-year-old had taken the gloss off an excellent second-round 66 with a triple-bogey at the par-three 17th on Friday, but he responded with a solid tee-shot and a putt to match on day three which he described as "sweet revenge".

"It's pretty much my dream to play with the top players in the field. I'll do that tomorrow and hopefully I'll enjoy it and just play my own game," said Sordet, who turned professional in July and then won on the Challenge Tour in Northern Ireland in just his fourth start among the paid ranks.

"The eagle was a highlight as I made a bogey there on the first day and also the birdie on 17. It was sweet revenge after I made a stupid triple there yesterday."

Donaldson led overnight and hit back from an opening bogey with birdies at the second, fifth and seventh holes, and another at 11 got the Ryder Cup star to 16 under.

But he double-bogeyed the 12th and dropped another shot at 14, and although he clawed two shots back at the 15th and 17th, he bogeyed the final hole to slip two strokes behind Sordet.

"I played nicely through quite a few holes, getting my momentum swinging back my way," said the Welshman. "I was cruising until 12, which was a killer. When I got onto the tee, the shot just wasn't there. I made a double and suddenly I went from feeling great, to 'Hang on a minute. Where's this going?'

"It hasn't been what I wanted but tomorrow's another day and I just have to get off to a quick start. I've done enough to stay in the tournament and I'm still in it"

Meanwhile, Westwood birdied three of the first four holes and, after a careless bogey-six at the seventh, he reeled off five birdies in six holes from the ninth and added another at 17 to vault into outright third place.

The 2011 and 2014 champion needed only 25 putts and revealed afterwards that his decision to put a new putter into play had been a resounding success.

"I was confident and in control and it has got to do with being on a course which I've won twice before," he said. "I hit it close a lot today and I played with a new putter. It feels a lot more stable and I'm rolling the ball quite nicely with it."

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European Tour Rookie of the Year Byeong-Hun An is a further shot adrift on 12 under after a six-birdie 68, but Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer lost ground on the leaders after disappointing rounds of 70 and 72 respectively.

Garcia struggled on the greens aside from one sublime putt for eagle at the 11th, while Kaymer dropped three shots over the last six holes.

Matt Fitzpatrick remained on nine under following a back-nine 38 in his 72, while Ryder Cup captain continued his encouraging recent form as a 69 lifted him into the top 15 on seven under par. 

Live final round coverage starts on Sunday at 5am on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf.