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It seemed a drier, faster and bouncier course due to scorching sun over the past couple of days didn't suit Chiragh Kumar, who had surprised everyone by leading the pack for two days.
Though Chiragh (two-under 70) played a steady game throughout the day, it proved inadequate for him to hold on to his lead as Australia’s David Gleeson surged into one-shot lead on third day of the Hero Indian Open at the Delhi Golf Club here on Saturday.
Considered one of the best strikers of the ball on Asian tour, Gleeson put his skills on full display to shoot a sizzling six-under-par 66 (16-under 200) and let everyone know his intent of ending a three-year title drought with some immaculate iron shots.
Gleeson and Chiragh both started the day well with three birdies and a bogey on first nine but the Australian took the game away on the back nine hitting five birdies and a bogey. He drew with Chiragh on the 14th hole, took lead on 15th and then extended it on 16th. He could have finished with two-shot lead but he miscued his shots on the 18th hole to settle for a birdie.
"It is the third day and always a tough day for both of us to find the right frame of mind of what we want to do," Gleeson, who won the 2008 Macau Open, said.
"I'm pretty happy to hit a few approach shots close to the hole. Chiragh misread a couple of putts and those were turning points in the round. I missed my birdie putt on hole six and bogeyed nine where the momentum shifted to Chiragh. But I bounced back with 10 and 11 and enjoyed the day," he added.
Gleeson has had a good outing at the Indian Open so far hitting consistent scores of 68-66-66 but he knows that on such a ‘difficult course’ he can't be complacent.
On the other hand, Chiragh had a cold day with his putter. He missed putts more than he could afford to lose the top spot on the leaderboard with three-day total of 15-under 201. He admitted to have read the putts wrongly but chose not lose his head over it.
"I'm not totally dissatisfied with my score. I played alright," the 2006 Asain Games team silver medallist said.
"I don't think there was anything wrong. I just didn't read my putts as well as I did in the first two rounds. You can't read them perfectly every day. It was just one of those days," he added.
Meanwhile, Lu Wei-chih of Chinese Taipei and Scotland's Ross Bain were tied at third with three day total of eleven-under.
Local favourite SSP Chowrasia played a good game on Friday hitting as many as four birdies on his first nine before sending in a bogey on the ninth hole. His back nine wasn't as fluent and managed to hit only one birdie shot. He collected three consecutive birdies on the first three that included a 10-footer on second. He narrowly missed a hole-in-one on the fifth by one foot.
Himmat Rai continued his steady run and came up with a three-under score on Friday to take his total to eight-under. Anirbhan Lahiri bettered his position to 18th on the leaderboard with three-under (five-under 211).
Leaderboard:
David Gleeson 200, Chiragh Kumar 201, Lu Wei-chih 205, Ross Bain 205, SSP Chowrasia 207, Adilson da Silva 207, Daisuke Kataoka 207, Chapchai Nirat 207, Lam chih Bing 208, Himmat Rai 208, Marcus Both 209.
Though Chiragh (two-under 70) played a steady game throughout the day, it proved inadequate for him to hold on to his lead as Australia’s David Gleeson surged into one-shot lead on third day of the Hero Indian Open at the Delhi Golf Club here on Saturday.
Considered one of the best strikers of the ball on Asian tour, Gleeson put his skills on full display to shoot a sizzling six-under-par 66 (16-under 200) and let everyone know his intent of ending a three-year title drought with some immaculate iron shots.
Gleeson and Chiragh both started the day well with three birdies and a bogey on first nine but the Australian took the game away on the back nine hitting five birdies and a bogey. He drew with Chiragh on the 14th hole, took lead on 15th and then extended it on 16th. He could have finished with two-shot lead but he miscued his shots on the 18th hole to settle for a birdie.
"It is the third day and always a tough day for both of us to find the right frame of mind of what we want to do," Gleeson, who won the 2008 Macau Open, said.
"I'm pretty happy to hit a few approach shots close to the hole. Chiragh misread a couple of putts and those were turning points in the round. I missed my birdie putt on hole six and bogeyed nine where the momentum shifted to Chiragh. But I bounced back with 10 and 11 and enjoyed the day," he added.
Gleeson has had a good outing at the Indian Open so far hitting consistent scores of 68-66-66 but he knows that on such a ‘difficult course’ he can't be complacent.
On the other hand, Chiragh had a cold day with his putter. He missed putts more than he could afford to lose the top spot on the leaderboard with three-day total of 15-under 201. He admitted to have read the putts wrongly but chose not lose his head over it.
"I'm not totally dissatisfied with my score. I played alright," the 2006 Asain Games team silver medallist said.
"I don't think there was anything wrong. I just didn't read my putts as well as I did in the first two rounds. You can't read them perfectly every day. It was just one of those days," he added.
Meanwhile, Lu Wei-chih of Chinese Taipei and Scotland's Ross Bain were tied at third with three day total of eleven-under.
Local favourite SSP Chowrasia played a good game on Friday hitting as many as four birdies on his first nine before sending in a bogey on the ninth hole. His back nine wasn't as fluent and managed to hit only one birdie shot. He collected three consecutive birdies on the first three that included a 10-footer on second. He narrowly missed a hole-in-one on the fifth by one foot.
Himmat Rai continued his steady run and came up with a three-under score on Friday to take his total to eight-under. Anirbhan Lahiri bettered his position to 18th on the leaderboard with three-under (five-under 211).
Leaderboard:
David Gleeson 200, Chiragh Kumar 201, Lu Wei-chih 205, Ross Bain 205, SSP Chowrasia 207, Adilson da Silva 207, Daisuke Kataoka 207, Chapchai Nirat 207, Lam chih Bing 208, Himmat Rai 208, Marcus Both 209.
