While Sandhu retained his lead with a level-par round, Raj Randhawa made a big move with a two-under seventy.
Ajeetesh Sandhu didn’t do anything spectacular. For the third day in a row, the 16-year-old star failed to master the KGA greens and putted more like a novice. The Merit List leader, however, shot a level-par 72 round on the third day on Thursday to maintain his lead in Category A (15-17 years).
After the third round of the Nokia South India Junior and Sub-junior golf championships at the KGA course, Sandhu took his three-day tally to level-par 216, six strokes ahead of schoolmate Rahul Bakshi and big mover Raj Randhawa.
While Bakshi shot a two-over 74, Randhawa, having quit studies and playing golf full-time for the last three years, submitted the best card of the day, a two-under 70 seeing him jump from sixth to the tied second spot.
There were no changes at the top in the other categories either. Bakshi continues to lead Category B (13-14 years) with a cumulative total of six-over 222. Bangalore lad Khalin Joshi leads Category C (11-12 years) with a score of 249, while Ankur Chadha leads Category D (below 10 years) with a two-day total of 165. The tiny tots’ tournament is restricted to 54 holes.
After 54 holes, Sandhu is on familiar territory – within striking distance of another title and way ahead of the pack. Winner of six titles last season, the 16-year-old is sure to add to his growing collection unless he does something really stupid or someone comes up with a sensational final-round score.
That shouldn’t bother Sandhu much. The teenager has been in such positions before and come up trumps. The title is what will be on his mind, and not how others play. One thing that should concern the young champ is his putting.
“Hopefully my putting will improve tomorrow,” Sandhu had said after the second round. But after the third round, the 11th standard student from St John’s High School, Chandigarh is yet to come to grips with the quick greens.
On a hot and humid Thursday, Sandhu was off-colour both with his hitting and putting, the latter more so. His card of 72 was studded with a lone birdie on the par-three eighth-hole. That advantage was negated with a three-putted bogey on the 16th hole.
Randhawa, who had taken Sandhu to a play-off in a tournament last season, was more confident on the greens. He needed just 29 putts to complete the round, four less than Sandhu. A monstrous 35-footer on the eighth was the stand-out. The 17-year-old Delhi lad had five birdies and three bogeys in his round of 70.
Down with viral fever, Anirbhan Lahari, two strokes behind the leader overnight, shot a dismal 12-over 84 to fade out of contention.
Scores (after 54 holes unless mentioned): Category A (15-17 years): 216: Ajeetesh Sandhu (Chd, 74, 70, 72); 222: Raj Randhawa (Del, 74, 78, 70), Rahul Bakshi (Chd, 71, 77, 74); 228: Surya J Prakash (Kol, 72, 75, 81); 230: Anirbhan Lahari (S’bad, 75, 71, 84), Madhav Soi (Del, 78, 74, 78).
Category B (13-14): 222: Rahul Bakshi (Chd, 71, 77, 74); 230: Madhav Soi (Del, 78, 74, 78); 231: Amanjyot Singh (J’pur, 78, 76, 77); 237: Pritam Haridas (B’lore, 80, 78, 79), Udayan Mane (B’lore, 78, 81, 78).
Category C (11-12): 249: Khalin Joshi (B’lore, 78, 81, 90); 261: Anish Gupta (Chd, 89, 82, 90); 263: Ainesh Ahluwalia (Del, 87, 85, 91); 268: Hemandra Chaudhury (J’pur, 89, 93, 86); 276: Jay Shirke (Pune, 95, 89, 92).
Category D (below 10, after 36 holes): 165: Ankur Chadha (Del, 82, 83); 175: Rahul Ravi (B’lore, 91, 84); 179: Syed Saqib Ahmed (B’lore, 89, 90); 182: Tarundeep Singh (Chd, 87, 95), Roshan Raj (B’lore, 95, 87).
