R3 LEADERBOARD -16 C Plaphol (Tha), P Casey (Eng), C Montgomerie (Sco) -15 T Bjorn (Den), T Pilkadaris (Aus) -14 I Giner (Spa), K Horne (SA), W-S Kang (Kor)

The Scot wobbled early on with three straight bogeys but birdied the final two holes for a 68 to reach 16 under.

Casey also hit a 68 as Plaphol shot 66 with Denmark's Thomas Bjorn and Terry Pilkadaris of Australia one shot back.

Montgomerie is ranked 54 in the world and needs to finish second in China to get back into the top 50, who qualify for next month's US Masters.

The 41-year-old's first task is to qualify for next week's Players' Championship - dubbed "the fifth major" - in Florida, which would boost his chances of staying in the elite for the 28 March Masters deadline.

Ireland's Paul McGinley, a Ryder Cup colleague of Montgomerie and Casey, was in a logjam on 13 under after a 69.

Monty deserves it after all he has been through over the past few months From MT Have your say on 606

Scot Ross Bain was on 11 under with countrymen Steven O'Hara and Simon Yates on 10 under.

In blustery conditions at the Yalong Bay golf club in Sanya, Hainan Island, Montgomerie began with two birdies to share the lead at 14 under.

But three consecutive bogeys from the fourth dropped him back into the pack before three birdies around the turn set up his powerful finish.

Casey, 27, picked up five birdies with his only blemish, a bogey four, coming at the short 16th.

Plaphol eagled the par-four seventh and fired five birdies in his 66.

Despite talk of how a decent finish could boost his rankings position, Montgomerie insisted that was not something that was on his mind.

"I've come here to try to win. That's my goal and whatever happens after that, does not matter," he said.

"It's a year since I won the Caltex Masters and I'm trying to win again."