COIMBATORE, Aug 19: Arjun Sharma fired a three-under 69 in the third round to move into the sole lead at 11-under 205 at the TATA Steel PGTI Players Championship here on Friday.
Former PGTI Feeder Tour winner and the overnight joint leader, Arjun (67-69-69) kept alive hopes of his maiden title on the PGTI as a result of his one-shot advantage on the penultimate day.
Khalin Joshi (69-68-69), a winner on the Asian Tour and former PGTI Order of Merit champion, also shot a 69 to rise one spot to second position and be on the leader’s tail at 10-under 206.
Akshay Neranjen, the 21-year-old Bengaluru-based rookie making his professional debut this week, impressed for the third day in succession as he posted a flawless 68 to gain two spots and end the day in third place at nine-under 207 thus making it to the leader group for the final round.
Arjun, who has been in the mix since the start of the week, had some early trouble when his first tee shot of the day found the trees.
But the 29-year-old salvaged a par on the first with a quality up and down that got his confidence going.
The golfer from the Jaypee Greens Golf Resort, Greater Noida, then picked up the pace with birdies on the second, third and 10th landing his wedge shots within close range of the pin.
Arjun’s two errors resulting in bogeys on the 13th and 17th were negated by his 30-feet birdie conversion on the 16th and a chip-in birdie on the closing 18th.
“I had a nervy start but the good par save on the first got the ball rolling for me. I was disappointed to drop a bogey from a good position on the 13th.
“But I managed to hang in there and finished really well for the second straight day. I’m feeling good about my game. I’m playing smart, playing to my strengths and not overdoing things. This approach has helped me so far this week,” Arjun said.
Khalin, on the other hand, had a quiet front-nine making the turn at even-par for the day. He had a fruitful back-nine consisting of four birdies and a bogey.
He produced one of his longest drives of the day to set up birdie on the 10th and also made two long birdie putts on the 16th and 18th.
Two-time PGTI Order of Merit champion Shamim Khan of Delhi, the overnight joint leader, slipped to fourth place at eight-under 208 following his third round of 72.
Ahmedabad’s Varun Parikh (71) is in fifth place at seven-under 209.
The two best scores of the day were shot by the Delhi duo of Sachin Baisoya and Arjun Prasad.
Baisoya and Prasad came up with 67s to be placed tied 11th at three-under 213 and tied 19th at one-under 215 respectively. (PTI)
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