Day three Coal India Open leader Angad Cheema of Chandigarh in action at the Kensville Golf and Country Club in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Image courtesy PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
KDGT 2025 winner Angad Cheema shot a Moving Day 3 under par 69 to take the lead in round three of the Coal India Open in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Chandigarh golfer Cheema’s 54-hole total at the Kensville Golf & Country Club read 11-under 205 (69-67-69), the PGTI said.
Overnight leader Amardeep Malik (69-65-72) of Noida dropped to second on 10 under 206.
Another Chandigarh golfer, Karandeep Kochhar (69-70-69), held third place two strokes behind Malik.
Pune’s Udayan Mane who opened with a 78, fired a second straight 66 to gain 11 places and share fourth place on 6 under 210 with Delhi’s Arjun Prasad (69).
Delhi-based Rakshit Dahiya, the only amateur to make the cut, ended the day in 10th position on 2 under 214 with a round of 71.
Ahmedabad’s Varun Parikh came up with a 72 to share 13th place on level par 216.
Cheema, two shots behind Malik overnight, made a rock-solid start with pars all through the front nine.
Firing back
The 35-year-old began the back-nine with a bogey but came roaring back with four birdies thereafter including three from between 10 and 15 feet.
“I played a steady round today hitting all greens in regulation,” the April winner in Bangalore said later.
“My putter got hot on the back nine which helped sink a lot of long putts. That was the big difference between my front nine and closing nine.
“Playing the qualifying event of The Open this summer, was a memorable experience and gave me great exposure as I competed in a strong field at a links course in conditions totally different from what we’re used to here in India.
“I would say it benefitted my game a lot. Taking a break from golf during the off-season has also helped me come back fresh and eager to perform well.”
Overnight leader Malik made three birdies and three bogeys on Thursday to drop to second but is just one stroke behind Cheema.
Also read: Malik takes two-stroke lead in round two of Coal India Open
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