Chatgram: Mar 11 (IANS) India’s Kshitij Naveed Kaul rode a brilliant 5-under 67 to take a five-shot lead after the third round of the 2022 Mujib Borsho Chattogram Open at Bhatiary Golf & Country Club here on Friday.
Kaul (71-63-67), who had posted a tournament-best 63 in the second round to move into second place, made further gains on day three with seven birdies and two bogeys to take a commanding advantage in a total of 15 under 201 in the INR 50 lakh event.
India’s Chiragh Kumar (71-69-66) hit a 66 to move up five places into joint second at 10-under 206. The other two players in the tied second sport were the Bangladeshi duo of Md Siddikur Rahman (71-66- 69), who gained two spots, as well as overnight leader Md Akbar Hossain (67-66-73).
Kaul, a two-time PGTI winner who was one shot off the lead after the second round, got off to a quiet start Friday with five pars and one bogey through the first six holes. Kaul, fresh from a top-10 finish in Ahmedabad last week, started his round with a birdie in the seventh thanks to a pinpoint tee shot and 10-foot conversion. Kaul then came up with a flurry of good chip-putts for birdies on days 8, 10 and 11 and pars on days 12 and 13.
The 21-year-old Kaul’s excellent tee shot and accurate approach shots earned him three more birdies on the 14th, 17th and 18th in exchange for a bogey on the 15th as he emerged as the main contender for the title.
Asian Tour winner Chiragh Kumar, who was tied overnight for seventh place, had an early bogey in the third but soon recovered with an eagle in the fourth, where he had a big tee shot and second shot. to leave a conversion of six feet. Chiragh’s eagle gave him a much-needed change of momentum and helped him add five more birdies thereafter.
Two-time Asian Tour winner and Bangladesh’s leading golfer, Md Siddikur Rahman, who was fourth overnight, shot a 69 with six birdies and three bogeys to move into tied second place.
Md Akbar Hossain, the leader for the first two days, dropped one place to tie for second as a result of his round of 73.
India’s Divesh Rana, one of five players to shoot three rounds under par so far this week, returned a 69 for a fifth-place nine-under 207.
Bangladesh’s Md Zamal Hossain Mollah shot a day’s best score of 65 to move into a tied eighth place seven-under 209.