Shubham Jaglan returned an error-free 65 to hold a share of the penultimate day’s lead at the Tata Open along with Merit topper Yuvraj Sandhu in Jamshedpur on Saturday. Image courtesy PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Newly-minted Asian Tour cardholder Shubham Jaglan returned a bogey-free card to share the Tata Open Moving Day lead with PGTI Order of Merit champion Yuvraj Sandhu in Jamshedpur on Saturday.
Jaglan, 21, turned professional earlier this year and is playing in only his third PGTI event. On Saturday he fired a 6 under par 65 to tie day two leader Sandhu on 14 under par in the Rs 2 crore season-ender.
The Tata Open is being played played at the Golmuri and Beldih golf courses with the final nine holes on Sunday scheduled for the latter venue.
Jaglan (68-66-65), who last week earned Asian playing rights at the Q School Final Stage in Hua Hin, is on a roll having finished runner-up on his PGTI debut last month at Chandigarh.
Sandhu (67-64-68), the halfway leader by three shots, had a 3 under 68 on Saturday to stay in the hunt for a record seventh PGTI title in a single season.
There was daylight between the two and the rest of the field as Veer Ahlawat (65), Khalin Joshi (68) and N. Thangaraja (68) were five shots adrift in tied third at 9 under 204.
On days one and two, one half the field played 18 holes at Beldih and the other half at Golmuri. In rounds three and four, the leading groups play the front nine at Golmuri before moving to Beldih for the second nine. The combined par for the event is 71.
Rich returns
Jaglan, overnight second, three shots off the lead, had a fruitful front nine with three birdies and an eagle thanks to two seven-foot and two 15-foot conversions.
On the back-nine, the US-returned player picked up a birdie on 12 and made two terrific par saves including a 25-footer that kept his momentum going.
“I was playing really well on my front nine at Golmuri but the 30-minute travel from there to Beldih kind of slowed things down since I had never experienced playing a round across two venues so far apart,” Jaglan said.
“However, a couple of great par saves at Beldih gave me a lot of confidence and helped me get back in my groove. It was my first time in the leader group at a PGTI event today.
Coping up
“Being in the spotlight and cheered by so many people brings its own pressures but I feel I handled that pressure well today.”
Order of Merit champion Yuvraj Sandhu continued to show fine form at the season-ending Tata Open in Jamshedpur on Saturday and will start the final round with a share of the lead. Image courtesy PGTI.
Sandhu made five birdies against two bogeys on Saturday to stay in a share of the lead.
“I enjoyed a good start in Golmuri but had a couple of three-putts in Beldih,” Sandhu noted.
“However, coming off the course I feel quite motivated to do well in the final round as it will be the last competitive round of 2025 so I want to give it my best.”
Rookie Manoj S. made a hole-in-one on hole 17 during his round of 67 to end the day sharing sixth place on 8 under 205 with Mohd Azhar and Amardeep Malik.
Kurush Heerjee, the only Jamshedpur-based professional to make the cut, was tied for 51st on 7 over 220.
Also read: Sandhu grabs Tata Open lead with sizzling run in round two
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