The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Cheema jumps into sole lead

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Friday, Jun 19, 2009
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Sport - Golf

Cheema jumps into sole lead

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: Angad Cheema carded a three under 69 for the day to jump into the sole lead but the day’s honours was hogged by a brilliant hole-in-one by Arshdeep Tiwana in the par three eighth hole as the competition hotted up after three rounds in the LG Southern India Open amateur golf championship at the KGA Course here on Thursday.

Cheema aggregated a one over 217 after 54 holes.

Overnight leader Karan Vasudeva submitted a card of 75 to be placed second at 219 while Tiwana was third at 222. Rahul Bakshi, who shot the day’s second best score with a 2-under 70, is sharing the fourth spot along with Gagan Verma at 223.

Abhijit Singh Chadha is in sixth at 226 while Rahul Bajaj was placed seventh at 227. Top ranked Rashid Khan and opening day’s leader Moin Khan shot identical rounds of 75 each to share the ninth spot at 228.

Angad, playing in the lead group for the very first time, attacked the pins from the very start and was rewarded with six birdies and three bogeys. After starting off with a 20 feet putt in the second, Angad had a bad patch bogeying the fourth, fifth and sixth holes.

Lone aberration

But that turned out to be the lone aberration for the 19-year-old as he birdied three consecutive holes to set the tempo.

Karan, who mostly had a level par day, lost two strokes in the 12th and with it the lead to Angad, who held his nerve and birdied on the 17th to gain the upperhand.

“Yes, I can feel the butterflies but I can handle the pressure,” said a confident Angad, who had planned to withdraw after the first round after suffering from food poisoning.

“I thought I had nothing to lose and hence played a free game and it turned out to be good. I feel happy to be in this position,” said the youngster, who had jumped to the second spot after the second round.

Top scores (after 54 holes): Angad Cheema (73, 75, 69) 217; Karan Vasudeva (74, 70, 75) 219; Arshdeep Tiwana (74, 76, 72) 222; Rahul Bakshi (79, 74, 70), Gagan Verma (74, 77, 72) 223; Abhijit Singh Chadha (78, 73, 75) 226; Rahul Bajaj (74, 78, 75) 227; Moin Malak (71, 82, 75), Rashid Khan (72, 81, 75), Simarjeet Singh (74, 77, 77) 228; Samresh Sardar (76, 83, 70), Kanishk Madan (80, 75, 74) 229; Abhishek Jha (79, 79, 72) 230; Jaibir Singh (76, 80, 75) 231.

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