JOIN USJoshi stays on course for title
Local lad Khalin Joshi primed himself for the fourth title of the season, staying well ahead of the chasing pack in the penultimate round of the Southern India Amateur Golf Championship here on Thursday.
Khalin, who smashed a spectacular course record 10-under 62 in the second round on Wednesday to leave everyone stunned, followed it up with a fine two-under 70 at his home Karnataka Golf Association course to stay a commanding eight shots ahead at 204.
Fellow Bangalorean S Chikkarangappa shot a second successive two-under 70 to lie sole second while Honey Baisoya was third at 213 after a third-round 70.
Unlike Wednesday when everything he touched turned into gold, Khalin had to battle himself in carding two-under.
Five-under after the opening nine holes in the second round, the 18-year-old was a given a quick reality check as he stood at one-over for the day following a bogey on the seventh hole.
Flawless three-under
However, as he has often done in a brilliant season this year, Khalin turned things around in the inward journey with a flawless three-under. He picked up his first birdie on the par-5 11th before nailing his second on another par-5 hole -- the 14th.
He then picked up his third shot of the day on the 16th hole to set himself for a grand amateur swansong at his home course.
Meanwhile, Chikkarangappa endured another day of mixed fortunes. While he sunk five birdies, three bogeys ruined his card.
Leading scores: 204: Khalin Joshi (72, 62, 70); 212: S Chikkarangappa (72, 70, 70), 213: Honey Baisoya (72, 71, 70); 215: Simarjeet Singh (72, 71, 72), Udayan Mane (72, 66, 77); 219: Manav Das (73, 72, 74); 220: Samarth Dwivedi (75, 70, 75); 221: Karun Taunk (77, 72, 72); 222: Syed Saqib Ahmed (76, 75, 71), Roshan Raj (74, 73, 75).