Ajeetesh Sandhu Climbs Leaderboard at Hero Indian Open

Ajeetesh Sandhu Reclaims Top Spot Among Indian Golfers

Ajeetesh Sandhu has successfully regained his status as the leading Indian golfer, moving up 10 spots to tie for 15th place after the third round of the Hero Indian Open on Saturday.

After starting the tournament tied for 4th, Sandhu recorded a 2-over 74 in Round 3, which featured three birdies and five bogeys, bringing his total score to 4-over par. This performance elevated him from his previous position of tied-25th.

Last year's runner-up, Veer Ahlawat, is currently at 5-over, tied for 18th place. He also shot a 74, which included two birdies, one of which was on the 18th hole, but he faced two bogeys and a double bogey.

Leading the tournament is Spain's Eugenio Chacarra, who managed a 1-over 73, giving him a one-shot advantage over Japan's defending champion Keita Nakajima (74) and South Africa's Brandon Stone (71). England's Matthew Jordan (73) and Sweden's Jens Dantorp (73) are just a shot behind at 1-under.

Sandhu played the front nine at even-par, but three bogeys in a five-hole stretch from the 10th to the 14th hampered his progress.

Nevertheless, he regained his form with two birdies and one bogey in the last four holes.

In contrast, Gaganjeet Bhullar had a tough finish, scoring a 78 with two consecutive bogeys and a triple bogey, dropping from a top-10 position to tied-33rd.

If Chacarra secures the win, it will mark his first title on the DP World Tour. Meanwhile, Nakajima aims to become only the fourth player to win consecutive titles at the Hero Indian Open.

Previous players to achieve this feat include Japan's Kenji Hosoishi (1967 and 1968), India's Jyoti Randhawa (2006 and 2007), and SSP Chawrasia (2016 and 2017).

Stone has not celebrated a victory since his third DP World Tour title in 2018 in Scotland, while both Dantorp and Jordan are still in search of their first wins on the DP World Tour.