Mukesh Kumar snatches DHL Open lead
The cream finally rose to the top as Mukesh Kumar, the No 1
player on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour, took the lead at the end of the
third round in the Rs 600,000 DHL Open, being played at the par-70 Bombay
Presidency Golf Club (BPGC), on Thursday.
The Mhow-based pro shot a round of level-par 70, but that was enough to give
him a two-stroke advantage over Lucknow's Jumman. Mukesh tallied two-over
212 for 54 holes, while Jumman shot a 74 to be four-over 214. Devendra
Patel, also from Mhow, shot the day's best card of two-under 68 and was in
tied third place along with Ashok Kumar of Delhi at five-over 215.
Overnight leader Mohammed Salim had a disastrous start and was nine-over
after six holes, but showed ample fighting abilities as he played the rest
of the 12 holes to par. However, a nine-over 79 card pushed him to tied
seventh place along with his brother Mohd Khokhon and Rezwan Ali at
seven-over 217. Yusuf Ali and Akbar Ali (both Kolkata) were tied fifth at
216.
Mukesh started in a whirlwind fashion and was three-under after five holes
with birdies on the first, fourth and fifth. However, the birdies dried up
thereafter and he dropped shots on the eighth, 12th and 16th holes.
"I am delighted that I am the leader, but I am not at all happy with the way
I took the lead. My game has not been up to the mark here. However, I am
hundred per cent sure that I will win the DHL Open tomorrow," said the
33-year-old, who is in line for his sixth title of the season.
Jumman was two-over after 16 holes and looked set to tie with Mukesh for
lead before making a crucial double bogey on the 17th hole.
"My putting was
not up to the mark today, and that is the biggest gray area of my game right
now. I hit the ball very well today as well. It feels bad to let a player
like Mukesh off the hook because of a three-putt. But I am not going to give
up without fighting tooth and nail till the final hole," said the
35-year-old.
Devendra Patel, who has recuperated from a painful shoulder injury that saw
him miss five cuts in the first 12 tournaments of the season, was five-under
after 10 holes, but made a bogey on the 12th and an unfortunate double bogey
on the 16th, where his second shot caught a branch and went into the hazard.
Despite a 79, the smile never left Mohd Salim's face. "I just forgot how to
putt in the first six holes. I had five three-putts to be nine-over with a
triple, two double and two bogies. But I am very happy with the way I fought
back thereafter. I am playing good golf and have not given up hope about
what can happen on the final day," he said.
Sachin Nigade leads amateurs: Sachin Nigade continued to lead the amateur
category with a third round score of 76. That gave him a three-day tally of
224, thus giving him a whopping 15-stroke advantage over the second placed
Devang Sharma at 239.
SCORES (after 54 holes): 212 _ Mukesh Kumar (72,70,70); 214 _ Jumman
(70,70,74); 215 _ Devendra Patel (73,74,68), Ashok Kumar (73,69,73); 216 _
Yusuf Ali (75,69,72), Akbar Ali (73,69,74); 217 _ Mohd Khokhon (76,72,69),
Rezwan Ali (73,69,75), Mohammed Salim (68,70,79); 218 _ Raju Ali (74,72,72),
Rohtas Singh (73,72,73); 219 _ Prakash Kubde (74,73,72), Sanjay Kumar
(73,71,75); 220 _ Chini Ali (74,72,74), Dinesh Kumar (71,72,77);