Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu strengthened his hand with a bogey-free round on Moving Day of the Chennai Open at the TNGF Cosmo course on Thursday. Image courtesy DP World PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Ajeetesh Sandhu returned a bogey-free card to extend his lead to three shots on Moving Day of the Rs 1 crore Chennai Open powered by CPCL at the TNGF Cosmo Golf Course on Thursday.
Sandhu’s 4 under par 68, after starting the day two shots up on the field gave him a tournament total of 17 under 199 in warm and humid conditions, the DP World PGTI said.
The 37-year-old Chandigarh golfer (65-66-68) had Viraj Madappa as his closest challenger heading into the final day.
The Kolkata golfer (72-67-63) fired the day’s lowest score to gain nine spots from tied 11th to second on 14-under 202.
Madappa, 28, a two-time DP World PGTI and former Asian Tour winner, had an eagle on the par-four sixth, eight birdies and a solitary bogey in his blistering round today.
Super show
Even more extraordinary was the feat recorded by Koichiro Sato, who had three eagles in his 67 to share 18th place on 7 under 209 and also equal the DP World PGTI record for the most eagles in a round.
The American has also as hired a cameraman to make on- and off-course content during his stint in this southern metropolis for his social media accounts.
Stepan Danek (65-68-70) of the Czech Republic slipped to third at 13 under 203 after starting out on Thursday in second place.
The 29-year-old’s two-under 70 featured an eagle on the par-five 18th, three birdies, a bogey and a double bogey.
Chandigarh’s Jairaj Singh Sandhu (66-71-67) climbed from tied seventh into a share of fourth at 12 under 204 alongside Noida’s Amardeep Malik (67-68-69).
Sandhu, a five-time DP World PGTI winner and former Asian Tour champion, was pleased to negotiate the added pressure of leading without dropping a shot.
Solid effort
“It was a solid round,” Sandhu said. “The feeling is naturally a little different when you begin the day in the lead, so you have to account for that pressure.
“Overall, I played well. There were a couple of missed opportunities, but that is part of golf.”
Birdies on the ninth and 10th helped Sandhu build momentum after a steady start.
“The birdies on nine and 10 were particularly important,” he said.
“I began with a run of pars, so making a couple of putts around the turn helped me settle down, regain momentum and manage the rest of the round.”
Sandhu has tried to keep his approach uncomplicated, concentrating on the immediate task rather than look at the leaderboard.
“I try to keep things as simple as possible and focus on the next shot,” he said.
“It is very easy to get ahead of yourself in golf, particularly when you are leading. My aim is to give every shot my full attention.”
Despite holding a three-stroke advantage, Sandhu expects a strong final-round challenge on a course offering several birdie opportunities.
Wary eye
“There are plenty of quality players in contention, and a lot of birdies can be made here,” he said.
“I’ll have to remain aggressive and continue making birdies. I’ll follow the same approach that has worked over the first three days.”
Sandhu also believes his Asian Tour experience has helped him manage Chennai’s hot and humid weather.
“These conditions are similar to what we regularly encounter on the Asian Tour,” he said.
“You have to be disciplined about staying hydrated and eating regularly.
“It can be uncomfortable because you are constantly sweating, but managing your body is an important part of the challenge.”
Race to DP World India Championship leader Saptak Talwar (67-68-73) slipped from tied fourth to T14 on 8 under 208.
Defending champion N. Thangaraja of Sri Lanka — sporting a super-fit physique — followed rounds of 69 and 70 with a third-round 72 to reach 5 under 211 for a share of 23rd place.
Also read: Sandhu widens advantage after day two of Chennai Open
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