Chittagong, Bangladesh, 23-03-2018
Sri Lankan N Thangaraja extends lead to two with a 68 in round three; India's Kapil Kumar shoots stunning course record 62 to be tied fourth
Sri Lankan N Thangaraja shot a resolute four-under-68 to continue in the lead for the third straight day at the BDT 50.00 lac City Bank American Express Chittagong Open 2018. Thangaraja, the overnight leader by one shot, extended his lead to two shots at the end of round three to emerge as a prime contender for the title as his total read 16-under-200.
India’s Aman Raj brought in a card of 69 to improve his position from overnight tied second to lone second. His three-day total stood at 14-under-202. Aman’s compatriot Veer Ahlawat (68) was another shot back in third place.
Kapil Kumar of India shot a stunning course record score of 10-under-62 at the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club on Friday to move up 13 places to tied fourth at 12-under-204.
Bangladesh’s Md Sajib Ali kept the local interest alive with his third round of 71 that gave him a share of fourth place.
N Thangaraja (65-67-68), who was in contention in the last two PGTI events but slipped on the final day, will look to turn it around on this occasion.
The 36-year-old Thangaraja, currently placed 11th on the PGTI Order of Merit, made a slow start to round three as he was even-par after seven holes courtesy two birdies and two bogeys. However, the wire-to-wire leader’s eagle conversion from 10 feet on the eighth was the spark that ignited his round.
Thereafter, Thanga missed some short putts but managed to stay ahead thanks to his consistent ball-striking. The two-time winner on the PGTI ended the day on a high with birdies on the 16th and 18th.
Thangaraja said, “I wasn’t playing that well at the start of the day but the eagle on the eighth really brought me back in the game. I felt my hitting got better from there on. I then set a target of four to five birdies on the back-nine. However, that didn’t materialize since I left quite a few putts short. Nonetheless, I’m quite happy to be two ahead at this stage.
“I’ve had a good season so far with two top-5 finishes out of four starts. But the disappointing part is that I’ve missed out on winning twice despite being in contention on the last day. I lost in the playoff in Hyderabad and then squandered my lead on the last few holes in Chennai. I have to guard against repeating the mistakes from those two matches.
“I lost out on the title on those two occasions because I wasn’t patient enough and couldn’t keep my emotions under control. That’s what I have to watch out for in the final round here in Chittagong.”
Aman Raj (65-68-69) kept himself in the hunt with six birdies and three bogeys on Friday. He narrowed the gap with the leader with birdies on the last two holes.
Veer Ahlawat (69-66-68) moved up one position to third after an error-free 68.
Kapil Kumar (72-70-62) set the fairways and greens of the Bhatiary Golf & Country Club on fire with an astonishing 11 birdies that came at the cost of just one bogey. His course record 62 featured an amazing run of five straight birdies from the first to the fifth hole. He picked up another shot on the ninth to make the turn at an imposing six-under.
After conceding a bogey on the 10th, the 25-year-old Kapil, still looking for his first title, added another five birdies to etch his name in BGCC’s record books and also rise into contention.
Kapil said, “My putting was outstanding today as I hardly missed anything on the greens. I made five 10-footers and two 20-footers. The incredible start to the round really lifted my confidence and increased my hunger for more birdies. I was then looking at a score of 10 to 12-under for the day. The really low target that I set for myself after the first five holes, helped me achieve that 10-under.”
Md Sajib Ali (65-68-71), lying tied second after round two, slipped two spots on day three to tied fourth as a result of his 71. The Dhaka-based Sajib is the highest-placed Bangladeshi going into the final round.
About PGTI:
Formed in 2006, Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) is the recognised official body of professional golf in India. PGTI's objective is to promote professional golf in the country, as well as to give players an opportunity to be involved in the decision making on all aspects of the game. Headed by Mr. Kapil Dev (President), PGTI's governing body comprises leading Indian golf professionals. PGTI currently has over 300 members.
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