Day three Chennai Pro Championship co-leader Dhruv Sheoran of Gurgaon punches out from under the trees for an eagle two on the par-4 10th hole at the TNGF Cosmo course on Thursday. Image courtesy PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Dhruv Sheoran shot a brilliant 5 under par 67 to hold the joint lead at 13 under 203 on day three of the Rs 50 lakh Chennai Pro Championship at the TNGF Cosmo Golf Course in Chennai on Thursday.
Manu Gandas, who like Sheoran, also calls the DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon home, signed for a four-under 68 to share the lead for a third day running, the PGTI said.
Pune’s Rohan Dhole Patil, the co-leader at the halfway stage, struck a 71 to end the day in third place on 10 under 206.
Faridabad’s Abhinav Lohan (69) and Bangladesh’s Jamal Hossain (70) were tied for fourth on 8 under 208.
Sheoran (69-67-67), third overnight one shot behind the leaders, posted a second consecutive 67 to make his move on Thursday, carrying forward the momentum from an error-free round two.
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After one birdie on the front nine, the 29-year-old, a two-time winner on the PGTI Feeder Tour, produced a moment of magic when he holed out for eagle from close to the trees on the par-4 10th hole.
Hot run
Sheoran, 23rd in the Tata Steel PGTI Ranking, then got on a run with his putter sinking 12-foot birdies on holes 13, 14 and 17. His only blemish of the round was a bogey on 15.
Searching for his maiden win on the PGTI, Sheoran said later, “I was focusing on one shot at a time and not getting too ahead of myself.
“The key was staying in the moment. I recently changed something in my putting that helped me put up good scores yesterday and today.
“My flawless second round on Wednesday really lifted my confidence. It gave me the much-needed momentum. Today, I stuck to the same gameplan as I did in round two.”
Gandas (67-68-68), co-leader on the first two days, continued at the top with a 68 that featured six birdies and two bogeys.
DLF’s Manu Gandas who has either led or shared the lead from day one, in action in Chennai on Thursday. Image courtesy PGTI.
Currently second on the PGTI Order of Merit and looking for his ninth professional win, Gandas made a number of quality up and downs for birdies even as he struggled with his ball striking.
Gandas said, “It was again an inconsistent round. I made quite a few mistakes and my putting was not up to the mark. I had three-putts on two occasions. The tee shots and approach shots weren’t up to my expectations either.
“Importantly, I hung in there and scrambled well around the greens to keep myself in contention. The up and downs for birdies towards the end helped me get back into rhythm. I’ll look to use my knowledge of this course to good advantage going into the final round.”
Chennai-based professional S Prasanth was tied 49th on over 220.
Also read: Dhole Patil, Gandas share Chennai Pro Championship day 2 lead
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