Hua Hin (Thailand), Mar 11: India’s S Chikkarangappa fired a third straight five-under 67 to get into a four-way lead in the International Series Thailand here on Saturday.
Chikka, a two-time winner on the Asian Development Tour, has in the past come close to winning his first title on the main Tour, but finished second on two occasions.
Another Indian, Karandeep Kochhar played bogey-free 66 to lie tied 17th at 12-under, just three off the lead.
Chikka at 15-under is tied for the lead with Siddikur Rahman (64), who shot one of the best rounds of his career, Australia’s Zach Murray (68) and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond (69) at the Black Mountain Golf Club here.
Making it really tight is that five players are tied for fifth at 14-under, just one shot behind and seven others are tied at 13-under.
Overnight leader Dodge Kemmer from the United States slipped back with 74 and is 12-under.
There are 28 players within three shots of the lead, setting the stage for a gripping final day.
Among other Indians, Honey Baisoya, who shot 62 in the second round after a 73 in first round, carded 72 on day 3 to lie T-43, while Gaganjeet Bhullar and Veer Ahlawat with 71 each were tied 58th.
Chikka had a chance to hold the outright lead but made a bogey on the par-five 18th. In total, he had five birdies and an eagle against two bogeys.
“I’ve been playing well, you know I had a great season at the end (of 2022) where I made my card on the Asian Tour. I also had a Tour championship win back in my local tour PGTI,” Chikka said.
“So that kind of gave me a lot of confidence. And I’ve been in good form, feeling good about the game. And I went back to my coach and Anirban (Lahiri), so we spent a lot of time there for about 20 days.
“We did a lot of good quality practice and that kind of has given me good confidence, and yeah, I’m feeling good about it.”
Tied at 14-under, one shot behind the leading quartet are Koreans Yongjun Bae (65), Mingyu Cho (66), and Jaewoong Eom (68), Micah Lauren Shin (67) from the United States, and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji (68).
Bangladesh’s golfing idol Siddikur looked like he was going to shoot an even lower round as six birdies on the front saw him turn in six-under-par 30 and when birdies followed on 12, 13 and 15 the course record of 62, set by American Sihwan Kim last year, looked within reach.
However, the 38-year-old, whose nickname is ‘the Tiger of Dhaka’, made his only bogey of the day on 17th hole.
“It was a wonderful day, I was so sound,” said Siddikur.
“My hitting was excellent and at the same time my putting was too good. So, all over it was a wonderful round for me, nine birdies and one bogey, the last two holes a little bit unlucky, but, again, I’m happy for today.”
Siddikur is a two-time winner on the Asian Tour but his last win came at the 2013 Hero Indian Open. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
