01-04-2016
Sujjan, Siddikur well-placed for final day showdown
Udayan lurks in third place, two off the lead
A fascinating Indo-Bangladeshi contest is set to unfold in the final round of the BTI Open on Saturday at the Kurmitola Golf Club in Dhaka.
India’s Sujjan Singh and Bangladesh’s Md Siddikur Rahman were well-placed for the final day showdown as the two golfers ended round three as joint leaders at 14-under-202.
Udayan Mane (12-under-204) and Deepinder Singh Kullar (10-under-206) occupied third and fourth place respectively and ensured a strong Indian presence at the top.
Sujjan Singh (69-68-65), lying fifth and three off the lead after the second round, came out firing on all cylinders in round three as he knocked down five birdies on the first 10 holes.
The Chandigarh lad, a winner of three titles including one on the Asian Development Tour, suffered a minor blip on the 13th where he dropped his only shot of the day. The 36-year-old however, rallied with three consecutive birdies from the 15th through the 17th to end the round with a flourish.
Sujjan, who shot the best score of round three, said, “I struck it well today and also converted as many as four birdie putts from about 15 to 20 feet. I’ve made three consecutive birdies on four occasions so far this week.
“I didn’t play too well at the Indian Open and as a result made a few changes in my swing. I feel those changes are now shaping up well and producing the desired results. I’ll have to be at the top of my game to outscore Siddikur in the final round. He will have the advantage of the local support. Udayan will also be one to watch out for as he has been playing well of late. I’ll give it my best shot.”
Md Siddikur Rahman (66-70-66), who was tied third after the second round, produced a bogey-free 66 in round three, to share the lead with Sujjan at the end of the day. Two-time Asian Tour winner, Siddikur, goes into the final round as the favourite as he is playing in his backyard, the Kurmitola Golf Club (KGC).
“I’ve not had a great first few months in 2016. I’ll look to turn it around here with a good final round. It’ll be highly satisfying to win in front of my home crowd once again. I have the advantage of local knowledge here but Sujjan and Udayan are also in good form and therefore would provide tough competition on the final day,” said Siddikur.
Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane (67-68-69) dropped from second place in round two to third place after his third round of 69 that included four birdies and a bogey.
Gurgaon’s Deepinder Singh Kullar (68-70-68) sank an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys during his third round of 68 to be placed fourth, four behind the leaders.
The Bangladeshi duo of second round leader Md Sajib Ali and Md Dulal Hossain occupied tied fifth place at nine-under-207.
Earlier in the day, the 57 players who couldn’t complete their second round on Thursday due to the weather delay, resumed their unfinished rounds. Once the second round was completed, the cut was declared at three-over-147. Fifty-six professionals and one amateur made the cut. Bangladesh’s Md Sajib Ali was the round two leader at 10-under-134 while India’s Udayan Mane was a stroke behind in second place.
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