Min Woo Lee and Rikuya Hoshino tied for lead at Australian Open

Min Woo Lee will have to overcome a familiar foe if he is to win on home soil for the second consecutive week at the ISPS Handa Australian Open.

The 25-year-old won last week's Fortinet Australian PGA Championship by three shots from Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino and the pair will head into the final round in Sydney tied at the top of the leaderboard on 13 under.

Hoshino carded a third-round 65 which matched the lowest effort of the day to surge to the top, while Lee saw his three-shot overnight lead wiped out as he signed for a 70.

All three Irishmen in the field shot rounds of 69 on the Australian Course. That leaves Conor Purcell tied for 25th on six-under-par; Mark Power is one shot further back in a tie for 30th while Tom McKibbin is tied-37th on four-under-par heading into Sunday's final round.

Alex Fitzpatrick – brother of major champion and Ryder Cup star Matt – was a shot back in third alongside American Patrick Rodgers.

An eagle at the 14th after putting his second shot inside six feet was the highlight of Hoshino’s bogey-free round, with Lee needing a birdie on the last to get into red figures for the day and join him at the summit.

"It was a bit of a grind," said Lee. "It wasn’t the easiest of rounds like the last five I’ve played. But golf is golf. I felt like I got a little unlucky with some lip-outs towards the end, but it is what it is.

"It is towards the end of the year and last round of the year is tomorrow, but it’s just another reason to give it my all before I take a break. I’m pretty happy with the game and I feel fine."

Englishman Fitzpatrick only turned professional last year but finished in the top 20 at this season’s Open Championship before claiming a first professional win on the Challenge Tour at the