Bhattacharya Maintains Lead at Kolar Open Amidst Challenging Conditions

Bhattacharya Retains Lead as Cheema and Azhar Chase

Shaurya Bhattacharya carded a one-under 71, preserving a two-shot lead after the third round of the Kolar Open, which boasts a prize pool of Rs 1 crore and is taking place near Bengaluru. The 23-year-old golfer from Delhi, who started the day with a three-stroke advantage, followed up his earlier rounds of 68 and 67 with a score of 71, totaling 10-under 206. Although his lead shrank by one stroke, he remains in a strong position heading into the final round.

Cheema and Azhar Close in on the Leader

Angad Cheema from Chandigarh (73-68-67) and Mohd Azhar from Hyderabad (70-68-70) are tied for second place at eight-under 208. Cheema made a significant leap, posting a five-under 67, while Azhar kept pace with a two-under 70.

Danek's Impressive Performance Shakes Up the Leaderboard

Stepan Danek from the Czech Republic delivered the best round of the day, a bogey-free nine-under 63, which included nine birdies. His performance propelled him from a tie for 14th to fourth place at seven-under 209.

Top Contenders in the Rankings

Bangladesh's Badal Hossain (69-72-69) is in fifth place at six-under 210, while Gurugram's Veer Ahlawat (71-71-69), the reigning champion of the 2024 DP World PGTI Rankings, sits sixth at five-under 211.

Bhattacharya Reflects on Challenging Conditions

Bhattacharya faced tough weather conditions, with rain and strong winds making the back nine particularly challenging. Despite hitting the ball well, he missed two short putts during the final stretch. "The rain and strong winds made the conditions difficult, especially on the back nine," Bhattacharya noted. A birdie on the last hole helped him regain a two-shot lead ahead of the final round. "Finishing with a birdie was important and gave me a positive end to the round," he added.

Defending Champion and Rankings Leader Make Progress

Saptak Talwar, the current leader in the DP World PGTI Rankings (72-71-70), moved up from tied ninth to seventh place at three-under 213. Defending champion Kshitij Naveed Kaul (73-75-66) made a significant jump, scoring six-under 66 to rise from tied 22nd to a share of eighth place at two-under 214. He shares this position with Shubham Jaglan (70-73-71) from Panipat and Prakhar Asawa (71-71-72) from Jaipur. Jaglan recently celebrated his first professional victory at the Coal India Open in Kolkata.