Honey in lead, Karandeep slips on Day 3

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 14

Honey Baisoya scored a 

5-under 65 to maintain the lead on the third day of the inaugural Bengal Open Golf Championship at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata on Thursday.

Baisoya (64-64-65), the overnight leader by one, is now two shots ahead of the field at 17-under 193 going into the final round.

Bangladesh’s Badal Hossain (63-66-66), moved from overnight tied second to sole second as a result of his 66 that took his total to 15-under 195 at the Rs 30 lakh event.

Badal’s compatriot Mohammad Zamal Hossain Mollah also made waves by matching the tournament’s best round of 62, earlier shot by first-round leader Karan Pratap Singh. Zamal thus took a flight from overnight tied-39th to 12th place at 11-under 199.

Karan Pratap, meanwhile, dropped three places to tied-fifth after he shot a 68 for a total of 13-under 197 at the end of the third round.  

Chandigarh’s Karandeep Kochhar slipped five places to tied-7th with a third round total of 12-under 198. Kochhar, who was overnight tied-2nd, traded of three birdies with a couple of bogeys for a score of 1-under 69 on Thursday. 

Kochhar shared the seventh spot with Yashas Chandra (63), Sayed Sabiq Ahmed (66), Kapil Kumar (68) and Panchkula’s Akshay Sharma (68).    

Baisoya made a positive start on day three with a birdie on the first but then had a bumpy ride till the 13th as he kept missing fairways. Baisoya’s first setback came on the third where he three-putted from six feet for a double-bogey. Despite his hitting form deserting him, the 22-year-old still managed birdies on the fourth, sixth and seventh, courtesy some high-quality approach shots and putting.   

The six-time winner on the PGTI made a couple of fabulous recoveries from the trees to bogey the ninth and extract a birdie on the 13th. He also registered two good par saves on the 11th and the 12th.

Baisoya finally ended the day on a high by making birdies on the 14th, 15th and 17th after landing his wedge shots within five feet on all three occasions.

“I really struggled with my hitting for a major part of my round. I found only two fairways on the first 13 holes and that stat in itself says a lot. But my approach shots and putting kept me in the game as I made some tremendous recoveries on the third, fifth, ninth and 13th,” Baisoya said after the day’s play.

“After scrambling for most part of the day, I made up by playing four-under over the last six holes…This has to be the most satisfying round of the tournament for me as I could’ve easily finished with a two or three over today but still managed to post a 65. This round comes as a huge confidence-builder ahead of the final day. However, my hitting has to be better if I want to have a shot at the title,” he added.

Badal Hossain struck a second straight 66 after making seven birdies and three bogeys to stay in the hunt for his maiden PGTI title. He made six birdie conversions from a range of 10 feet but had a disappointing three-putt bogey on the 17th that pushed him two shots behind the leader.

Delhi’s Rashid Khan, the winner in Chittagong last week, had a flying start with birdies on the first three holes. However, on the back-nine he posted two birdies and two bogeys to end up with a 67, and therefore, slip one spot to tied-third at 14-under 196. 

Pune-based Udayan Mane carded a 64 to climb eight places and join Rashid in tied third.

Shankar Das (64) was the highest-placed Kolkata golfer in tied fifth. Das shared fifth place with round Faridabad’s Karan Pratap Singh (68) at 13-under-197.

Mohammad Zamal Hossain Mollah struck it well to set up an eagle on the starting 10th and six other birdies en route his spectacular 62. He also drained as many as three putts from a range of 10 to 20 feet.

Kolkata’s Sunit Chowrasia (68) outscored his uncle SSP Chawrasia (69) as the duo played in the same group for the first time in a professional event. Sunit closed the day in tied 17th at 8-under 202 while SSP was a further shot back in tied 23rd.

Bengaluru-based Indian star Rahil Gangjee, who originally hails from Kolkata, returned a 71 to be tied-29th at 6-under 204.