Back in form Rashid Khan sets up push for Classic Int’nl title

By Rahul Banerji

Two-time Asian Tour winner Rashid Khan moved to within touching distance of a third title even as unheralded Indonesian Rory Hie continued to lead the $300,000 Classic Golf and Country Club International Championship on Saturday.

It was a final hole birdie for the second straight day that kept Hie on top of the leader-board on a 17-under aggregate of 199 and a day’s card of 5-under 67, but Rashid is a shot away after being one of the significant movers on the day with a 6-under 66.

“I’m not thinking too much about tomorrow,” the wiry 28-year-old said after his 6-under par round of 66 on Moving Day. “I will just have to be there. Be there with the driver, with my irons, wedges and putter. That will be most important in Sunday’s round.

Steady progress

Abhijit Chadha, second overnight, was a further shot behind the top two on 15-under 201 and Asian Tour rookie Aadil Bedi helped make it three Indians in the top-five on 12-under 204 with a bogey-free 68. “I didn’t make too many mistakes today,” he said afterwards.

“I just got a little unlucky with a couple of my putts. Had three-four lip-outs which could have easily gone in.

“I started off really hot. I was 3-under after 4 holes. I was doing the right things and kept hitting the fairways. Later on as well, I was doing the same things and hitting it close but just that the putts didn’t go in. My score could have completely different. Overall, I’m playing well and am very positive.”

Hie owes it to his first day card of 8-under 64 for his continued presence at the top of the field, but behind him the field has bunched nicely for a last-day push.

With three Indians in the top five and nine in the top 20m, it promises to be a well-contested final round and one that has raised home hopes considerably.

Clear structure

Bedi had Thailand’s Kosuke Hamamoto for company in shared fifth place. Between them in sole fourth is Byungjun Kim of South Korea on 14-under 202, giving the leader-board has a clearly defined structure for the first time in the championship.

Said Hie about his round, “I didn’t think about my golf swing, everything was pretty positive, I was looking at where I wanted to place the ball. I always had a positive attitude towards every putt, it doesn’t matter if it’s a par putt or birdie putt.

“Right now I’m just really happy with the kind of golf I have been playing.”

Rashid, whose last win on the Asian Tour came in November of 2014 at the Chiang Mai Classic, had his focus clear for the final day with the prospect of a close title contest developing. “It’s probably going to be decided over the final nine holes, so just being in the moment is important,” he pointed out

“I’m playing decent golf, hitting the fairways and finding the greens. The scrambling is perfect. You need all of those things to score 5-under or 6-under. 

“Today, I just had one bad hole. Otherwise, I kept hitting the greens and giving myself a lot of chances.”

Only blemish

An 11^th hole bogey was Rashid’s first dropped shot of the tournament, meaning he had gone 46 holes bogey-free till that point, a sign of the confidence with which he has been playing through the season..

Further down the field, Aman Raj, third overnight was level par for the day and tied eighth overall on 10-under 206 along with three others, while Himmat Rai and Abhinav Lohan were joint 12^th.

Viraj Madappa, Sudhir Sharma, who matched Rashid with a day’s round of 66 and Chikkarangappa S. helped complete the top 20 on 8-under par 208s.

Suttijet Kooratnapisan of Thailand had the round of the tournament, a 9-under par 63. It was one less than the all-time mark of 10-under 62 his countryman Chapchai Nirat achieved en route to an Asian Tour record-setting tournament total of 32-under par 256 at the 2009 SAIL Open.

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