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Austria's Matthias Schwab has maintained his consistency and carded a six-under 66 to extend his overnight lead to three strokes after the third round at the Turkish Airlines Open.

Schwab, who led by one at halfway, eagled the first hole and sank six more birdies -- offset by a double bogey on the par four 12th -- to go 18-under overall and lead five others tied for second at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal golf course in Antalya on Saturday.

France's Benjamin Hebert, England's Tyrrell Hatton and Ross Fisher, American Patrick Reed and Scotland's Robert MacIntyre trailed at 15-under overall to give Schwab a realistic chance of claiming his maiden title on the European Tour on Sunday.

"The game plan is going to be the same as it's been the last three days," Schwab said.

"The course is gettable and there are a lot of birdies out there, so I'll just stay aggressive because pars won't be enough.

"I got off to a really nice start on the first hole with the eagle... and then played solid golf all around except for that one little hiccup I had on 12. Other than that, I was hitting them well, I made a few putts. Overall it was a good day."

Defending champion Justin Rose, who was two strokes behind Schwab heading into the weekend, dented his chances of accomplishing a three-peat after he shot a poor round of 73 to finish tied for 25th -- nine strokes behind the Austrian.

Australian Jason Scrivener also shot a disappointing 73 to be level with Rose, while Scott Hend made par to put himself 12 shots off the lead alongside Wade Ormsby, who carded a three-under 69.

Schwab's compatriot and Race to Dubai leader Bernd Wiesberger signed for a two-under par 70, which was his best round at the event so far, and was tied for 54th.

The Open champion Shane Lowry carded a poor 75 to finish tied for 52nd at four-under overall.

Australian Hannah Green has recovered from a poor start to be tied for third after the second round of Japan Classic golf tournament.

Fellow Australian Minjee Lee is only one stroke adrift of Green at the par-72 Seta course.

Local favourite Ai Suzuki shot a bogey-free seven-under-par 65 on Saturday to take a three-shot lead, sinking seven birdies to sit at at 12-under 132 at the halfway mark.

Gaby Lopez of Mexico shot 67 and was in second place in the final event of the LPGA Tour's Asia Swing.

Green is eight-under 136, having shared the lead with Suzuki after Friday's opening round. The Australian carded a 69 and was tied for third with Hyo Joo Kim (68).

Lee (137) fired a three-under 69 in the second round to be equal fifth with China's Shanshan Feng.

The third Australian in the field, Su Oh, was four under overall in a four-way tie for 14th.

Defending champion Nasa Hataoka struggled with her game and finished with a 76 including five bogeys and a double bogey.

American Lexi Thompson, making her first start since September's Indy Women in Tech Championship, shot a 68 to move up the leaderboard after an opening-round 74 and was 10 strokes behind Suzuki.

Tiger Woods concedes he's unsure if he will again grace Australia's fairways after selecting himself as US playing captain for next month's Presidents Cup in Melbourne.

The 2019 Masters champion and world No.7 also named Tony Finau, US Open champion Gary Woodland and Patrick Reed as his three other picks on Friday to take on Ernie Els' Internationals.

Rickie Fowler was the unlucky omission with the powerful American team featuring seven players from the world's top 10 and world No.22 Matt Kuchar as the lowest-ranked of the 12.

Woods will be the first playing captain at a Presidents Cup since Hale Irwin led the USA to a 20-12 win over in the inaugural event in Virginia in 1994.

Els said Woods had "no choice" but to pick himself after his incredible comeback from injury this year.

He landed his 15th major - 11 years after winning his 14th - at Augusta National in April before scoring a wire-to-wire victory at the Zozo Championship two weeks ago in Japan.

"This is our generation's best player by quite a distance and people want to see him play. He's done things other people haven't done on the golf course," Els said.

Woods, though, said he only made his mind up after his latest win, having been sidelined since late August following arthroscopic left knee surgery to repair minor cartilage damage.

"To me the Zozo Championship was a big event and validated that I could still play and contribute to the team," he said.

"The long haul to Australia is very much like going to Japan and seeing how my body felt, how it reacted in Japan and how it will play. It certainly gives me a lot of confidence that it will hold up over the long haul down to Australia."

But it could well be the last time fans get to watch the 43-year-old in Australia.

"I don't know if this is the last time I play down under," Woods said.

"I can still play the Open or other events down there; there's always that chance.

"But let's just focus on us coming to Melbourne to play Royal Melbourne and enjoy that experience and competition."

Given the former world No.1 has only played two previous Australian Opens, and not since 2011, and the fact Woods will be in his 50s when the Presidents Cup is next held down under - not until at least 2027 - this could well be his swan song.

Golf's biggest superstar will be making his ninth Presidents Cup appearance when the US try to defend the trophy for a seventh consecutive time from December 12-15.

He has won 24 of his 40 matches since debuting in their one and only loss at Royal Melbourne in 1998.

Woods is one of only five players to earn a perfect five-from-five record during a single event (2009).

His 24 match wins rank second behind Phil Mickelson's 26 and his six victories in singles are most.

Under Presidents Cup rules, Woods only needs to play one match in foursomes and fourballs to qualify for the last-day singles.

US: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Patrick Cantlay, Tiger Woods, Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland.

Internationals: Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Louis Oosthuizen, Marc Leishman, Abraham Ancer, Cameron Smith, Haotong Li, CT Pan, Jason Day, Sung-jae Im, Adam Hadwin, Joaquin Niemann.

Tiger Woods concedes he's unsure if he will again grace Australia's fairways after selecting himself as US playing captain for next month's Presidents Cup in Melbourne.

The 2019 Masters champion and world No.7 also named Tony Finau, US Open champion Gary Woodland and Patrick Reed as his three other picks on Friday to take on Ernie Els' Internationals.

Rickie Fowler was the unlucky omission with the powerful American team featuring seven players from the world's top 10 and world No.22 Matt Kuchar as the lowest-ranked of the 12.

Woods will be the first playing captain at a Presidents Cup since Hale Irwin led the USA to a 20-12 win over in the inaugural event in Virginia in 1994.

Els said Woods had "no choice" but to pick himself after his incredible comeback from injury this year.

He landed his 15th major - 11 years after winning his 14th - at Augusta National in April before scoring a wire-to-wire victory at the Zozo Championship two weeks ago in Japan.

"This is our generation's best player by quite a distance and people want to see him play. He's done things other people haven't done on the golf course," Els said.

Woods, though, said he only made his mind up after his latest win, having been sidelined since late August following arthroscopic left knee surgery to repair minor cartilage damage.

"To me the Zozo Championship was a big event and validated that I could still play and contribute to the team," he said.

"The long haul to Australia is very much like going to Japan and seeing how my body felt, how it reacted in Japan and how it will play. It certainly gives me a lot of confidence that it will hold up over the long haul down to Australia."

But it could well be the last time fans get to watch the 43-year-old in Australia.

"I don't know if this is the last time I play down under," Woods said.

"I can still play the Open or other events down there; there's always that chance.

"But let's just focus on us coming to Melbourne to play Royal Melbourne and enjoy that experience and competition."

Given the former world No.1 has only played two previous Australian Opens, and not since 2011, and the fact Woods will be in his 50s when the Presidents Cup is next held down under - not until at least 2027 - this could well be his swan song.

Golf's biggest superstar will be making his ninth Presidents Cup appearance when the US try to defend the trophy for a seventh consecutive time from December 12-15.

He has won 24 of his 40 matches since debuting in their one and only loss at Royal Melbourne in 1998.

Woods is one of only five players to earn a perfect five-from-five record during a single event (2009).

His 24 match wins rank second behind Phil Mickelson's 26 and his six victories in singles are most.

Under Presidents Cup rules, Woods only needs to play one match in foursomes and fourballs to qualify for the last-day singles.

US: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Patrick Cantlay, Tiger Woods, Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland.

Internationals: Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Louis Oosthuizen, Marc Leishman, Abraham Ancer, Cameron Smith, Haotong Li, CT Pan, Jason Day, Sung-jae Im, Byeong-hun An, Joaquin Niemann.

Tigers Woods declared Patrick Reed was "bleeding red, white and blue" after selecting the divisive star ahead of locker room and fan favourite Rickie Fowler for the United States' Presidents Cup defence next month.

Higher ranked and with stronger Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup credentials than Fowler, Reed nevertheless has a reputation as a somewhat self-centred and disruptive figure.

Reed infamously refused to allow his estranged parents and Augusta natives onto the course when he won last year's Masters.

He also threw US captain Jim Furyk under the bus and clashed with Jordan Spieth at last year's Ryder Cup after being split up from his previously successful partnership with Spieth.

But Woods loves competitors and there's few better than Reed - dubbed Captain America for his Ryder Cup heroics - including a 3-0 record in singles.

"He has an amazingly solid record in the Presidents Cup," Woods said..

"So this is a person that is as fiery as they come and he's bleeding red, white, and blue and he will do anything to get points for you - and that's what we want...

"He's going to give you absolutely everything he has, and that's admirable, and the guys are looking forward to embracing him and having him be a part of this team."

Reed promised Woods that his teammates could rely on him once again after earning one of four captain's picks on Friday.

"I live for events like the President's Cup and Ryder Cup," he said.

"I enjoy every minute of the competition, the fans and playing for our country

"It means so much to me to be a part of this team, and I'm going to do everything I can to help the USA bring home the Presidents Cup."

Woods admitted it was a wrench to overlook Fowler, widely considered the best player yet to win a major championship.

"That was a tough phone call," he said.

"Rickie's a good friend of mine and I've known him for a long time.

"Kept it short and quick. No reason to make it a lengthy conversation."

Fowler could yet earn a late reprieve with world No.1 Brooks Koepka in significant doubt as he battles a knee injury that could prevent him from teeing up against the Internationals at Royal Melbourne from December 12-15.

Australia's Jason Scrivener is three shots off the lead following day one of the Turkish Open after carding a steady opening round of 68 in Antalya.

Scrivener recovered from a bogey on the par-four second to rattle in five birdies to end the day tied with a group of 10 players in 12th place.

Big-hitting Queenslander Scott Hend also remains in contention one shot back after posting a 69 for a share of 22nd place at the European Tour event.

England's Tom Lewis and Austria's Matthias Schwab share a one-shot lead after both banked seven-under-par 65s.

Lewis sank eight birdies, including four in a row from the 15th hole, offset by a bogey on the par-three fifth while Schwab had six birdies and an eagle on the fourth in perfect conditions.

American David Lipsky, Belgian Thomas Pieters and Sweden's Alex Noren were tied for second at six-under par while six others - including defending champion Justin Rose of England - were a shot further back.

Rose, who eagled the par-five 11th with a delicate chip on to the green, is looking to win his third title in a row at the Rolex Series event after winning the trophy by a single stroke in 2017 and in a playoff last year.

British Open champion Shane Lowry was frustrated by the state of the greens as he carded a level-par 72 to trail Race to Dubai rival Bernd Wiesberger, who tops the standings after three wins this season, by a shot.

Jason Day has pledged to "rectify" his modest Presidents Cup record after receiving a vote of confidence from International captain Ernie Els.

As expected, Day earned one of Els' four captain's picks on Wednesday, with 2019 US PGA Tour rookie of the year Sungjae Im, fellow young gun Joaqin Niemann and Canadian Adam Hadwin also getting the nod to take on Tiger Woods' star-studded USA line-up at Royal Melbourne next month.

Day narrowly missed out on automatic selection, finishing ninth in the International team standings following a rare winless season in America.

Unusually for a former world No.1, major champion and two-time world matchplay winner, the Presidents Cup is also the only format Day is yet to really nail.

The 31-year-old has managed just four wins from 15 matches at three previous President Cup outings in 2011, 2013 and 2015.

He is one from three in singles and none from five in foursomes.

But Els is unfazed, the skipper backing Day's "class and leadership" to come to the fore as the Internationals field the youngest team in the 25-year history of the series, won by them for the first and only time in 1998.

"I'm so excited to have Jason on the team. I've spoken to Jason through the year quite a few times just to feel him out to see where he is with his feelings on playing a team format," Els said from Beijing.

"And he absolutely, every time I spoke to him, reiterated that he was 110 per cent in. He wants to rectify a lot of things.

"Personally, I said to him: 'This is not a one-man show, this is not about personal records. It's all about the team.'

"Although his record's not that great, it really doesn't matter. He's a class player, he's a player that can play under pressure and these are the players I want on the team.

"That's the bottom line and statistically Jason has performed under pressure for a long time."

The average age of the International team is 29, with 21-year-old Im, and Niemann, who turns 21 on Thursday, Australian Open champion Abraham Ancer, Cameron Smith, Haotong Li and CT Pan giving the underdogs six rookies against a US line-up all ranked inside the world's top 22.

"With so many young players on the team this year, I think there'll be a lot of passion and energy and I think that positive energy can help the team," said Im, world No.34 who posted seven top-10 finishes on his maiden season on the US PGA Tour.

The exciting Korean also finished third behind US captain Tiger Woods at the recent Zozo Championship in Japan.

Woods will reveal his four captain's picks on Friday and neither Day nor Els doubt the 15-times major winner and reigning Masters champion will select himself.

"I don't think he's got any choice," Els said.

Rickie Fowler looms as the unlucky omission when Tiger Woods and Ernie Els finally reveal their captain's picks for next month's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

After months of speculation, Els will name his final International line-up on Thursday before Woods settles on his powerhouse USA outfit on Friday.

Unless he pulls a surprise, such is the embarrassment of riches at his disposal, Woods' four captain's picks - including himself - will all be ranked above the Internationals' top player Adam Scott.

World No.7 Woods all but confirmed his playing presence with his recent wire-to-wire victory at the Zozo Championship, while US Open champion Gary Woodland and perennial major contender Tony Finau also appear locks.

That leaves Woods having to choose between 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, the man who presented the skipper with his fifth green jacket in April, and five-year Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup mainstay Rickie Fowler.

Widely considered the best player on the planet without a major championship to his credit, Fowler is also significantly more popular with his peers and fans than Reed.

Reed, though, isn't called Captain America for nothing.

Despite not being everyone's cup of tea, his credentials and bulldog spirit can't be questioned.

The world No.15 was the top-scoring American on his 2014 Ryder Cup debut, beat Rory McIlroy as the US won the trophy back in 2016 and last year came up trumps when playing alone as he saw off Tyrrell Hatton at the end of a turbulent week during which he complained at being split from Jordan Spieth.

Fowler, meanwhile, appears to have accepted his fate.

Despite winning in Phoenix this year and posting top-10 finishes -up at the Masters and British Open, Fowler hasn't played since the season-ending Tour Championship as he prepares his wedding and honeymoon instead.

But he could still earn a late reprieve with world No.1 Brooks Koepka said to be in doubt with a knee injury.

Predicting Els' four captain's picks is somewhat more difficult.

Former world No.1 Jason Day is a certainty, while Els is also keen on 2019 US PGA Tour rookie of the year Sungjae Im and young Chilean sensation Joaqin Niemann.

If he goes that way, it would seemingly leave the consistent Byeong Hun An, Canadian Adam Hadwin and Els' South African countryman Branden Grace fighting it out for the last spot.

The International team hasn't won the Presidents Cup since 1998 at Royal Melbourne, losing eight of the past nine contests and drawing the other.

USA: Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Patrick Cantlay. Possible captain's picks: Tiger Woods, Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland.

Internationals: Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Louis Oosthuizen, Marc Lieshman, Abraham Ancer, Cameron Smith, Haotong Li, CT Pan. Possible captain's picks: Jason Day, Sungjai Im, Byeong Hun An, Joaqin Niemann.

Major winner Hannah Green and defending champion and world No.3 golfer Nelly Korda will lead a hot field at next year's Women's Australian Open in Adelaide.

The women will tee it up at Royal Adelaide from February 13, with Australia's top ranked golfer, world No.7 Minjee Lee, also among the favourites.

Perth's Green is making a triumphant return home, looking to add the national title to the LPGA Championship.

The 22-year-old stunned the golfing world in June when she led from start to finish to claim one of the five women's majors, at Hazeltine in Minnesota.

Her one-shot victory was the first major by an Australian woman since Karrie Webb's 2006 win at the Kraft Nabisco Championship. It also made her only the third Australian female to win a major behind Webb and Jan Stephenson.

Playing only her second season on tour, Green also won another LPGA Tour tournament, the Cambia Portland Classic, in August, to underline her superstar potential.

But she still desperately wants a win on home soil.

"It's always been a dream of mine to win my home Open,'' said Green, who is currently ranked No. 21 in the world.

"That's why I'm so happy to be coming back to Royal Adelaide in 2020."

Green has come close before. In four previous starts beginning as a teenaged amateur in 2016, she has finished tied-20th, tied-seventh, third at Kooyonga in 2018 and tied-10th at The Grange this year.

"Winning a major has changed my life a bit but I'm very hungry to keep competing and winning and to get the best out of myself and I don't need any extra motivation at an event like a home open," she said.

American Korda, 21, repeated the feat of her elder sister Jessica by winning the 2019 Open and has continued to climb the world rankings to No. 3.

Lee, 23, scaled the heights to a No. 2 ranking when she won her fifth Tour title with victory in Los Angeles early in 2019 before dropping down a few places later in the year.

Harry Higgs has rebounded from his first bogey of the week to take a two-stroke lead after three rounds at the PGA Tour's inaugural Bermuda Championship.

After dropping a stroke on the par-4 14th at hilly Port Royal on Saturday, Higgs birdied the par-3 16th and par-4 18th for his second straight 6-under 65.

"I knew I needed to hit that putt way harder. I got a little irritated but I just laughed," he said after posting a 17-under 196 total.

"I figured I was going to make a bogey at some point. I didn't want to but I was probably going to do it."

Bryson DeChambeau's teammate at SMU, Higgs is making his sixth start of his rookie season after winning on the Korn Ferry Tour and finishing fifth on the developmental tour's regular-season points list to earn PGA Tour card.

"I've won twice in the last 13 months and I've had countless other chances to win," he said.

"I've played with the lead a lot for the last year, so in a way that makes you comfortable but you're still uncomfortable the whole time. I've got a good idea how I'll feel."

Brendon Todd, who tied for the second-round lead with Higgs and Scottie Scheffler, was second after a 67.

Bo Hoag and Brian Gay were 14 under. Hoag had his second 64 in three days and Gay shot his second straight 65.

Scheffler was another stroke back, shooting his second 69 after an opening 62.

Australians Rod Pampling and Rhein Gibson find themselves 11 shots off the pace and in a three-way share of 17th place.

with Reuters