Rashid Khan overcomes rocky start, rain to take DGC Open lead

By Rahul Banerji

Two-time Asian Tour winner Rashid Khan battled the conditions, a rain-induced break and an opening double bogey but turned things around in dramatic fashion to grab a three-shot lead on Moving day at the DGC Open.

Rashid (68), three shots behind overnight leader Chikkarangappa S. (74) after Friday returned his third straight sub-par round for an 11-under par 205. It relegated the overnight leader to second, also three shots adrift.

Bangalore golfer Chikkarangappa just could not get his putter going on the day and was on eight-under 208 while Honey Baisoya (65), bidding for a maiden Asian Tour was tied third on six-under 210.

Alongside the Gurgaon-based Baisoya at the $750000 event presented by Mastercard was Ahmedabad’s Om Prakash Chouhan (73) and Thai Chapchai Nirat (71).

Rashid, part of the Indian team that won a silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, last won on the continental tour came at the Chiangmai Golf Classic in 2014.

The wiry Khan later said, “This kind of round gives a lot of confidence. When I shot a bogey-free round on day one, I was happy and today after the double bogey on the first hole, coming back this strong it gives a lot of momentum.

Hitting back

“I hit back really well and made birdies on two, four and five to restart the round. I was just trying to find the greens and give myself birdie opportunities, and I holed really good putts today.

“That’s the only thing I was doing and did not take out my driver at all, just hit maybe one. I just teed off with my 3-iron or 3-wood.”

“The weather didn’t really affect me. I was in that zone where I was just focusing on one thing. I was just surprised that there was lightning and we were getting scared a little because of that, but rain just came maybe on the last two holes, so it was fine.”

Chikka still took away positives despite not being at his best on the greens and dropping two shots.

“I wouldn’t say it was a bad day. I hit the ball good, I just I lost a little bit of speed on the greens with probably the weather and the rain. I struggled a bit on the speed. But otherwise, I’ve been hitting it good, just need to trust it.”

“I hit two bushes today and then with those I made two bogies and the rest of the day, I made sure that I was in there.

“So yeah, it’s okay. Definitely the greens changed a bit after the rain, even the fairways as well. I still have another 18 holes to go tomorrow.”

Overdue win

Since 2014 Rashid has finished second or tied second four times. Last year he was T2 at

the Mandiri Indonesia Open won by Gaganjeet Bhullar, which is the last Indian win on the Asian Tour.

He also lost a play-off to Taiwan’s Chan Shih-chang in 2022.

Though Rashid sits on a handy lead, the third day’s star was Honey Baisoya (71-74-65) who had a bogey free round, climbing from tied 49 overnight to tied third.

Last month Baisoya was second at the Hero Indian Open after the first round and was still in the top 10 after three rounds before finishing T20th. Baisoya’s best Asian Tour finish is fifth at the Panasonic Open India in 2016.

Baisoya said, “I just changed my mindset today. I told my caddie that we will make every par, and no bogeys today.

“In fact, that was my plan for the last two rounds. I started with a birdie and after five holes, I was three under. I was hitting it good and I putting really well.

Shifting winds

“The pins were not easy. The wind was changing and it was swirling a lot so it was difficult to judge where to hit and where to aim so overall it was a really good day for me.”

While the top five had four Indians, Filipinos Miguel Tabuena (72) and Justin Quiban (73), and Englishman Matt Killen (74) were tied sixth on five-under on a day when there were 14 under-par scores.

Only Rashid and Chapchai from the top eight on the leaderboard have won before on the Asian Tour.

While Rashid had six birdies against his opening double bogey, Chikka had two bogeys and no birdies. Honey Baisoya had seven birdies and no bogeys.

Chapchai, who has a world record 32-under victory margin at the 2009 SAIL Open at the Classic course in Gurgaon was for a while in contention for the lead with a string of birdies on his outbound nine.

Also read: Bogey-free Chikkarangappa leads the way at DGC Open