Rashid Khan overcame a double bogey first as much as reel in in a single day chief S Chikkarangappa and take a three-shot lead into the general spherical of the $750,000 DGC Open on the Delhi Golf Course on Saturday. Rashid shot a four-under 68 whilst Chikka went two over and but held a two-shot lead over the trio tied for the 3rd spot.
While a gradual downpour and swirling winds altered direction stipulations tremendously after two benign days, Rashid and Chikka held their very own on an afternoon the leaderboard mirrored the elements. Thailand’s protecting champion Nitithorn Thippong went from in a single day T-2 to T-52 whilst Honey Baisoya leapt from T-49 to T-3 with Thai Chapchai Nirat.
Rashid, coming 2d into Day 3, picked himself up after a double bogey 7 within the first hollow with 3rd birdies within the subsequent 4 holes. He went bogey unfastened from there and two birdies at the again 9 gave him a cushion at the leaderboard. Six birdies in all left him at 11-under for the match. Chikka struggled at the rainy direction, particularly at the inexperienced in a spherical with no unmarried birdie.
Rashid used his driving force simply as soon as on Saturday, depending basically on 3-iron and 3-wood from the tee at the slim direction with unforgiving fairway thickets. “I hit again in reality neatly after the double bogey. I used to be simply looking for the golf green and provides myself birdie alternatives. I additionally holed some in reality excellent putts these days,” stated the 32-year-old two-time Asian Tour winner.
The spherical started in misty stipulations and an intermittent drizzle. Play used to be halted for 45 mins within the afternoon because of deficient climate with the specter of lightning. It had no affect on Rashid. He sank a birdie right away on resumption and in addition birdied the par-5 14th to surge forward.
“The weather didn’t really affect me though it’s tricky to make adjustments on such a day. You must judge your shots well, your caddie needs to save your clubs from getting wet, and you need to keep yourself dry,” the 32- year-old stated.
Chikka used to be suffering from the stipulations. “The climate did play a component these days. We all the time play in warmer and humid stipulations. Even right here, the primary two days have been fairly heat,” he stated.
“It takes slightly time to get used to those stipulations. The rain stored coming and it used to be tricky to pass judgement on the response off the vegetables. I misplaced slightly little bit of pace at the inexperienced; most likely the elements and just a bit little bit of rain bogged down the vegetables.”
Chasing his first Asian Tour identify, Chikka hit the striking inexperienced once his spherical used to be accomplished, regardless of secure rain.
“There have been a couple of issues in striking that I sought after to iron out. I think I’ve figured that out. If the stipulations stay the similar on Sunday, I’ll be in a position,” the 29-year-old stated.
Honey Baisoya made the massive transfer of the day, jumping 46 puts in adversarial stipulations.
“The swirling wind, greater than the rain, made it tricky to pass judgement on photographs. The stipulations modified each 4-5 holes, so that you needed to stay checking the place the wind used to be coming from,” stated the 26-year-old, who shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 (seven birdies).
Om Prakash Chouhan used to be tied 3rd whilst SSP Chawrasia and Gaganjeet Singh Bhullar have been tied twelfth.
