Seasoned Shankar Das moves into one-shot lead in Players Championship

By Rahul Banerji

Kolkata’s Shankar Das carded a third straight 4-under-68 to take a one-shot lead in the Rs. 30 lakh Tata Steel PGTI Players Championship at the Chandigarh Golf Club on Thursday with conditions changing overnight.

The 36-year-old now aggregates 12-under 204 ahead of the final round.

Greater Noida’s Sudhir Sharma, overnight tied fourth along with the seasoned Das after setting a course record on Wednesday, also moved up two places in the penultimate round, a 69 on Thursday moving him into second at 11-under-205.

Halfway leader Trishul Chinnappa of Bangaloe slipped to tied third after a third round of 73 alongside Noida’s Gaurav Pratap Singh (71) at 9-under-207.

Panchkula’s Angad Cheema (68) was the best placed among the local golfers in tied 12^th at 5-under-211.

Changed conditions

With the wind picking up strongly and swirling constantly, it meant that only 17 out of a total field of 57 could break par on the day.

Das (68-68-68), a seven-time winner on the PGTI, negotiated the conditions well to shoot the day’s joint best score and keep his card bogey-free. He struggled to find greens in regulation but more than made up for that with his fine chipping and putting.

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The 2014 Tata Steel PGTI Order of Merit champion made a couple of chip-putt birdies and landed his wedge shots within six feet for birdies on a further two holes. Das, with three top-10s this year, will be looking for his first win since September 2017.

Shankar said, “I found only 10 greens in regulation today but made some excellent up and downs wherever I missed the green. I made as many as eight one-putts and was sharp with my wedges.

‘Judgement the key’

“The conditions were such that it was imperative to judge the wind well and make good club selections. I did well on both fronts. Importantly, I’ve dropped just three bogeys in the entire tournament so far and that has been the key to my consistency this week.

“If I can drive and putt well in the final round I will have a really good chance of winning. I think a fourth straight round of 68 might just be good enough for me.”

Sharma (72-64-69) began the day splendidly as he landed his approach within a foot on the first hole to set up a tap-in birdie. He picked up five more shots at the cost of a bogey till the 17^thto sit on a two-shot lead over Das.

However, it all changed when Sharma found the water with his approach on the 18^th to concede a double-bogey and the three-shot swing on the last hole was enough to put Das ahead.

Chinnappa made a strong start with two birdies on his first four holes but he soon slipped with two bogeys and a double-bogey though he was to later pull one shot back.

Patna’s Aman Raj and Bangladesh’s Md Dulal Hossain, both overnight tied second, shot identical 74s in round three, dropping tied fifth at 7-under-209 alongside Delhi golfers Kapil Kumar (68) and Rashid Khan (71) and Bengaluru’s C. Muniyappa (71).

Also read: Chinnappa equals Chandigarh course record to take round one lead