Kolar Open: Shaurya Bhattacharya holds two-shot lead after Round 3

Shaurya Bhattacharya retained his two-shot lead at the Kolar Open after a third-round 71, reaching 10-under 206. Angad Cheema and Mohd Azhar are tied for second, with Cheema's impressive 67 putting him in strong contention for the title.

Bhattacharya Holds Lead, Cheema and Azhar in Pursuit

Shaurya Bhattacharya shot a one-under 71 to retain a two-shot lead after the third round of the second edition of the Rs 1 crore Kolar Open played on the outskirts of Bengaluru. The 23-year-old Delhi golfer, who began the day three strokes clear, followed his opening rounds of 68 and 67 with a one-under 71 to reach 10-under 206. His advantage was reduced by one, but he remained in control heading into the final round, according to a press release.

Chandigarh's Angad Cheema (73-68-67) and Hyderabad's Mohd Azhar (70-68-70) shared second place at eight-under 208. Cheema made the strongest move among Bhattacharya's nearest challengers, returning a five-under 67 to climb into contention. Azhar stayed in the hunt with a two-under 70.

Danek's Bogey-Free 63 Shakes Up Leaderboard

The Czech Republic's Stepan Danek (76-70-63) produced the lowest round of the day, firing a bogey-free nine-under 63 featuring nine birdies. His round included four consecutive birdies from the first through the fourth as he climbed from tied 14th overnight to fourth place at seven-under 209.

Other Notables in the Top Ranks

Bangladesh's Badal Hossain (69-72-69) occupied fifth place at six-under 210, while Gurugram's Veer Ahlawat (71-71-69), the 2024 DP World PGTI Rankings champion, was sixth at five-under 211.

Leader's Perspective on Tough Conditions

Bhattacharya's round was played in testing weather, with rain and strong winds making the back nine particularly demanding. The three-time DP World PGTI winner struck the ball well but missed two short putts during the closing stretch.

"The rain and strong winds made the conditions difficult, especially on the back nine," said Bhattacharya. "I hit the ball well but missed two short putts coming home."

A birdie on the final hole provided a timely lift and allowed him to restore a two-shot cushion ahead of Sunday's final round. "Finishing with a birdie was important and gave me a positive end to the round," he said.

Bhattacharya, currently 16th in the season rankings, does not plan to alter the approach that has kept him at the top of the leaderboard through the first three days. "The plan is to keep finding fairways and hitting greens," he said. "That approach has worked well over the first three rounds, so I'll stay with it tomorrow."

Rankings Leader and Defending Champion Make Moves

Current DP World PGTI Rankings leader Saptak Talwar (72-71-70), who spent the summer competing on the HotelPlanner Tour, improved from tied ninth to seventh place at three-under 213.

Defending champion Kshitij Naveed Kaul (73-75-66) of Delhi made one of the day's biggest moves. His six-under 66 lifted him from tied 22nd to a share of eighth place at two-under 214. Kaul was joined by Panipat's Shubham Jaglan (70-73-71) and Jaipur's Prakhar Asawa (71-71-72). Jaglan arrived in Bengaluru after securing his maiden professional title at last week's Coal India Open in Kolkata. (ANI)

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