City’s Yuvraj Singh Sandhu slipped to joint fourth, while Greater Noida’s Arjun Sharma shot a steady two-under 70 to move up one spot and take the third-round lead at the Masters 2022 being played at the Digboi Golf Links on Friday.
Arjun Sharma (66-68-70), who registered a career-best runner-up finish on the PGTI in Coimbatore in August this year, also continued his gradual progression rising from fourth place in round one to second position in round two and then into the lead in the round thanks to his consistent display.
The 29-year-old, currently ranked 28th on the PGTI Order of Merit, had a quiet start as he made pars on the first six holes where he did not hit it close to the flag. Sharma picked up his first birdie on the seventh, but soon lost ground with bogeys on the eighth and ninth where he missed a fairway and a chip-putt respectively.
Speaking of his performance, Sharma said, “The front-nine troubled me for the third day in succession. I’m one-over for the front-nine so far this week and 13-under for the back-nine. I think the back-nine is actually the tougher half of the course. So, I feel that I need to play the front-nine better in round four, especially the seventh, eighth and ninth holes.”
Pune-based Udayan Mane carded the day’s best score of 66 to climb nine places to second position at 11-under 205 at the ₹75 lakh event. Delhi’s Kshitij Naveed Kaul, meanwhile, posted a 69 to gain two spots and end day three in third place at 10-under 206.
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