JAMSHEDPUR, DEC 5 : Delhi-based Shamim Khan maintained his lead at the 6th TATA Open here after shooting two under 68 in the third round on Friday. Shamim’s total has now moved to 10 under 202. Mandeo Singh Pathania is currently second as he shot one under 69 in round three to take his total to seven under 205. Kolkata’s Shankar Das lies third at five under 207.
On Friday the entire field played nine holes each on both the courses Beldih as well as Golmuri. While one half of the field teed off from Beldih, the other half began its round from Golmuri. Thirty golfers with the best scores at the end of round two teed off from Golmuri and finished at Beldih. The par for the combined courses was 70. This format will also be followed on Saturday.
Shamim Khan (68, 66, 68 held on to his overnight lead despite having a mixed day today. He made birdie-bogey-birdie on the second, third, fourth and then had a bogey-birdie on the sixth and seventh to make the turn at one under. Two more birdies followed for him on the 11th and 13th. The 30-year-old from the Delhi Golf Club made his final bogey on the 17th to close at two under.
Mandeo Singh Pathania (75, 61, 69), who currently trails Shamim by three strokes, is placed as high as second heading into the final round of a PGTI event for the first time. In round three he sank birdies on the seventh, 10th, 13th and dropped bogeys on the 11th and 15th.
Kolkata’s Shankar Das (67, 73, 67) is in third place at five under 207. He fired five birdies and two bogeys for his three under 67 on Friday. C Muniyappa and Ajeetesh Sandhu are both one stroke behind Shankar Das in tied fourth place. Harendra Gupta and Feroz Ali Mollah share sixth place at three under 209.
Defending champion and current leader on the PGTI Order of Merit, Mukesh Kumar, lied tied 13th with a total of one under 211. His four under 66 was the best score of round three. Jamshedpur’s Karan Taunk is the highest-placed amateur. He is currently tied 33rd and has a total of six over 218.