By Rahul Banerji
Defending champion Shubhankar Sharma all but blew away hopes of retaining his crown at the $3 million Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur, carding a 2-over par 74 on Saturday for a share of 30th place and a full 10 shots off the lead.
Last year, Sharma put in a dramatic last-day run to overturn a six-shot deficit but a repeat this time looks unlikely with Spain’s Elvira Nacho opening up a gap at the top of the leader-board.
On Saturday, the Spaniard reclaimed his place at the top with a 6-under 66 to snatch the outright third round lead after holding shared top spot after day one. He now has a three-day total of 13-under-par 203 to head the chasing pack by two shots at the Saujana Golf and Country Club.
Blast from the past
Four-time major winner, former world no. 1 and Presidents Cup Internationals captain Ernie Els turned back the clock with a third successive sub-par card (68, 70, 69) for a share of ninth place on 9-under 207, four behind the 32-year-old Nacho.
On the day, Sharma did manage two birdies but they sandwiched four dropped shots between the fourth and 14th holes that all but sank his hopes.
Chikkarangappa S. and Viraj Madappa were the leading Indians in the field on 4-under 212 and shared 22nd place while two-time Indian Open winner S.S.P. Chawrasia was a further shot behind on 3-under 213.
Chikka was the one taking a big step upwards, climbing 33 places, while Madappa, winner of a maiden Asian Tour title last year, rose by eight places.
Ajeetesh Sandhu was level par for the tournament and Gaganjeet Bhullar, who had started promisingly on day one, was T67 on 2-over 218.
Well-placed
American David Lipsky, runner-up at the Maybank in 2017, had a 67 to take second place on 11-under 205 Australia’s Scott Hend and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond shared third place together with Maximillian Kieffer of Germany one behind on 206..
Hend, a nine-time Asian Tour winner, is seeking his first win since 2016 while Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Jazz is chasing his fourth Asian Tour victory and a second in three months, as they both head into the final round, three shots back of Elvira.
Bangladeshi Siddikur Rahman had his best round of the week with a 4-under 68 to move inside the top-10 for a share of ninth place alongside South Africa’s Louis De Jager and the English pair of Andy Sullivan and Ross Fisher.
At the $6.7 million Valspar Championship in Palm Harbour, Florida, Anirban Lahiri will look to build on two days of hard work when action resumes on day three of the $6.7 million PGA Tour event.
Follow the action here: Valspar Championship
Also read: Indian pro golfers in action worldwide, Lahiri fires it up in Florida
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