Kochhar Moves to Lead at Bengaluru Open Golf

Bengaluru, Dec 19 (PTI) Chandigarh's Karandeep Kochhar produced a steady three-under 69 to jump to sole lead after round three of the Bengaluru Open Golf Championship 2019 the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) course here on Thursday.

Kochhar moved into pole position with a two-shot lead at 11-under-205.

The 20-year-old Kochhar, who was one shot off the lead in tied fourth at the halfway stage, produced a steady round to emerge as the prime contender for the title at the Rs 40 lakh event, which is also the penultimate leg of the 2019 TATA Steel PGTI season.

Local favourite Rahil Gangjee (71) and Faridabad-based Abhinav Lohan (70) were in tied second place at nine-under-207.

Kochhar (67-69-69), still looking for his first title after turning professional, began well with long birdie conversions on the second and fifth despite being in trouble with his tee shots on both holes.

An error in club selection on the sixth saw Kochhar find the water and drop his first bogey of the day.

Kochhar, the youngest ever player to win on the PGTI at age 17 years and five months while still an amateur, then landed it close to pick up two more birdies on the eighth and 12th.

Kochhar managed to end the round on a high with two long birdie putts on the 16th and 18th on the most windy day of the tournament.

"It was great to end my round with two birdies for the second straight day. In round two, I made birdies on the closing 17th and 18th and today it was the 16th and 18th. So that helps me carry forward the momentum into the next round," said Kochhar, currently seventh in the PGTI Rankings thanks to his four top-10s this season.

"I've been putting really well. I have a good feel of the green speed this week and am stroking my putts nicely. My course management has been great and I've scored and scrambled well. I'm also hitting it straight off the tee."

Gangjee (68-68-71) will be playing with Kochhar for the third day in succession as he found himself a place in the final day's leadergroup after a round that featured five birdies and four bogeys. He moved up two spots from his overnight tied fourth.

Lohan's (70-67-70) third round 70 was punctuated by four birdies and two bogeys and it lifted him four spots from his overnight sixth position.

Round two joint leaders Trishul Chinnappa of Bengaluru and Sudhir Sharma of Greater Noida shot rounds of 73 to slip to tied fourth at eight-under-208 along with Lucknow's Sanjeev Kumar (67).

Eighteen-year-old amateur Akshay Neranjan, playing only his second professional event, was in seventh at seven-under-209 while M Dharma was placed tied eighth at six-under-210.

Chandigarh's Yuvraj Singh Sandhu matched the tournament's best round of 65 to close the day in 11th place at five-under-211.

Delhi's Kapil Kumar, one of the three second round joint leaders, slipped to tied 12th at four-under-212 after a round of 77 on Thursday.

Defending champion Anura Rohana of Sri Lanka was also placed tied 12th. PTI

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