Noida, 13-12-2013
Thangaraja surges ahead in round three
N Thangaraja of Sri Lanka continued in the lead for the third straight day at the PGTI Players Championship at Noida Golf Course after he shot a one-under-71. Thangaraja thus built a five-shot lead ahead of the final round as his total read five-under-211. M Dharma of Bangalore, Nepal’s Shivaram Shrestha, Kolkata’s Raju Ali Mollah, Bangladeshi Md Zamal Hossain Mollah and Ranjit Singh of Chandigarh are currently in tied second place.
Thangaraja (68-72-71), the overnight joint leader, took a giant leap towards his maiden professional title after firing a tenacious 71 in testing conditions on Friday. The 32-year-old was on fire on the first 10 holes as he picked up five birdies against a lone bogey. Thangaraja displayed some superb iron-play as he landed his approach shots within three feet on three occasions for birdies on the second, sixth and seventh. He chipped-in from the bunker for birdie on the fifth and sank a 15-feet birdie putt on the 10th.
Thangaraja’s tee shots were off the mark on the 12th, 13th and 16th. He also missed chip-putts on these holes and as a result dropped bogeys.
“I played really well on the first 10 holes but struggled with my tee shots and my short-game thereafter. I hit it well with the 3-wood. I’ll look to make maximum fairways and greens in the final round and play some consistent golf. I enjoy a comfortable lead at the moment but I need to make a solid start in the final round in order to capitalize on the advantage,” said Thangaraja, who finished runner-up at PGTI’s event in Sri Lanka last week.
Ranjit Singh, the overnight joint leader, slipped to tied second place after returning a 76 in round three that took his total to even-par-216. Ranjit was joined by M Dharma, Shivaram Shrestha, Raju Ali Mollah and Md Zamal Hossain Mollah in tied second place. Dharma fired a 69 on Friday.
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The Professional Golf Tour of India serves as the official governing and sanctioning body for men's professional golf in India and is a recognized member of the 'International Golf Federation' and the 'International Federation of PGA Tours'. PGTI also enjoys a strategic alliance with the DP World Tour (European Tour). PGTI events offer 'Official World Golf Ranking' (OWGR) points. Global logistics leader DP World is the Title Partner and Official Umbrella Partner of the PGTI. The PGTI is led by its President, Padma Bhushan Shri. Kapil Dev, an iconic sporting legend who continues to inspire athletes and audiences nationwide.
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