Thailand: Gaganjeet Bhullar’s sport lastly clicked right now, after uncharacteristically struggling this season, as he took the third-round lead on the Black Mountain Championship.
The Indian was at his imperious greatest capturing a six-under-par 66 for a match whole of 19-under, and a two-shot lead over none apart from the participant of the yr to date, American John Catlin.
Catlin fired a 65 right here at Black Mountain Golf Membership in Hua Hin, Thailand – the place circumstances have been removed from ultimate with gray skies and rain persisting all day.
His compatriot Michael Maguire carded a 68 and is one other shot again, whereas Chinese language-Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po fired the bottom spherical of the day, a 64, to take a seat in fourth, an extra stroke behind, with David Boriboonsub from Thailand, who returned a 67.
Bhullar, the 36-year-old from Amritsar, has triumphed 11-times on the Asian Tour – essentially the most by an Indian – however dogged by a sore hip this yr he has not completed higher than joint thirty third, on the Worldwide Collection Morocco. After lacking the final three cuts he’s at the moment 123rd on the Asian Tour Order of Benefit.
Nonetheless, the rebound seems to have begun this week, and a twelfth win is an actual chance.
“It was an excellent spherical of golf to be trustworthy,” mentioned the Indian star, who made six birdies and began the day sharing the lead with Suteepat Prateeptienchai from Thailand.
“I feel the very best half was that it was a bogey-free spherical. I in all probability hit about 17 greens in regulation, in order that gave me an excellent alternative to make tons and plenty of birdies. I putted fairly properly right now, I might say pretty much as good as yesterday, and drove the ball properly, simply missed two fairways right now. However apart from that, I feel it was a strong spherical.”
He holds the course report right here, a spherical of nine-under again in 2009, and has solely dropped two photographs all week. And regardless of the poor climate right now, which luckily was simply rain and no lighting, he has continued to dominate the course.
“Usually it is a thunderstorm and we do not play, however yeah, it was fairly difficult. Truly, in the previous couple of holes I needed to change my technique off the tee, as a result of I used to be simply not comfy hitting driver on all of the holes. On quantity 16 I needed to hit a 3 wooden, and on the seventeenth I needed to hit a 4 iron.”
Catlin is aiming to finish a hat-trick this week, after an exceptional season that has seen him win twice: Worldwide Collection Macau introduced by Wynn and Saudi Open introduced by PIF, back-to-back.
He additionally almost claimed the Worldwide Collection Morocco, however was stopped in his tracks by New Zealand’s Campbell, after the Kiwi gained on the primary gap of a sudden-death play-off. Catlin was additionally second within the Yeangder TPC, joint third within the Malaysian Open and equal fourth within the SJM Macao Open.
He’s the runaway chief on each the Asian Tour Order of Benefit and The Worldwide Collection Rankings.
He mentioned: “It was a grind, you understand, it is onerous to maintain every little thing dry. It was on and off all day, it was rain after which it type of stopped, after which it might come again. After which it might get heavy, I felt like I used to be continually having to regulate my numbers and what photographs I used to be taking part in, so yeah, to come back out with 65 is unquestionably good.”
The American is clearly revelling taking part in in Hua Hin – his residence away from residence, as, slightly below a decade in the past, he selected to base himself right here when taking part in on the Asian Tour.
He mentioned: “Yeah, it is nice being right here, anytime I can play a match in Hua Hin it is superior. This has been type of a second residence, and I’ve principally had a spot right here for eight years. I’ve performed this golf course extra instances than I can depend, so all of that’s undoubtedly serving to me play properly.”
He solely dropped one shot right now and carded eight birdies.
Maguire, a graduate from final yr’s Qualifying College, has the chance tomorrow to enhance on his greatest efficiency on the Asian Tour, which is tied fourth in final yr’s Worldwide Collection Vietnam.
“Difficult circumstances on the market with the rain,” commented Maguire, who has made only one bogey in three rounds.
“I feel we solely had two holes the place it wasn’t raining, so simply attempting to handle conserving every little thing dry, and attempting to only determine how far the ball is flying. As a result of yesterday it was sizzling within the afternoon, the ball was going miles, and right now, with the rain, it type of cooled down a bit bit. So, yeah, proud of the way in which I performed.”
Suteepat shot a 71 and is 5 behind Bhullar, together with Italian Stefano Mazzoli, in with a 70.
ENDS
Scores after spherical 3 of the Black Mountain Championship being performed on the par 72, 7344 Yards Black Mountain GC course (am – denotes beginner):
197 – Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 65-66-66.
199 – John Catlin (USA) 69-65-65.
200 – Michael Maguire (USA) 68-64-68.
201 – Lee Chieh-po (TPE) 68-69-64, David Boriboonsub (THA) 65-69-67.
202 – Stefano Mazzoli (ITA) 67-65-70, Suteepat Prateeptienchai (THA) 65-66-71.
203 – Hung Chien-yao (TPE) 69-65-69, Suradit Yongcharoenchai (THA) 68-66-69, Liu Yanwei (CHN) 64-68-71.
204 – Atiruj Winaicharoenchai (THA) 70-66-68, Nopparat Panichphol (THA) 65-71-68, Bjorn Hellgren (SWE) 69-67-68, Ian Snyman (RSA) 68-67-69, Nick Voke (NZL) 68-67-69, Sarit Suwannarut (THA) 67-68-69, Ben Campbell (NZL) 68-70-66, Santiago De la Fuente (MEX) 65-68-71, Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA) 67-66-71, Richard T. Lee (CAN) 66-66-72.
205 – Kieran Vincent (ZIM) 68-69-68, Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) 67-70-68, CharngTai Sudsom (THA) 64-73-68, Jeunghun Wang (KOR) 67-67-71, Meenwhee Kim (KOR) 69-65-71, Chanmin Jung (KOR) 65-69-71.
206 – Chonlatit Chuenboonngam (THA) 68-68-70, Scott Vincent (ZIM) 68-68-70, Minhyeok Yang (KOR) 70-66-70, Vanchai Luangnitikul (THA) 67-70-69, Aaron Wilkin (AUS) 66-71-69, Tanapat Pichaikool (THA) 67-68-71, Jaco Ahlers (RSA) 67-68-71, Jonathan Wijono (INA) 65-70-71, Poosit Supupramai (THA) 65-72-69, Jared Du Toit (CAN) 68-70-68, Chris Wooden (ENG) 69-69-68, Pawin Ingkhapradit (THA) 67-66-73.
207 – Kazuki Higa (JPN) 69-67-71, Sihwan Kim (USA) 69-68-70, Shahriffuddin Ariffin (MAS) 65-72-70, Khalin Joshi (IND) 68-66-73, Kristoffer Broberg (SWE) 67-71-69, Matt Killen (ENG) 66-67-74, Nitithorn Thippong (THA) 65-68-74.
208 – Todd Sinnott (AUS) 64-72-72, Chan Shih-chang (TPE) 71-66-71, Charlie Lindh (SWE) 70-67-71, Luke Kwon (KOR) 67-70-71, Jose Toledo (GTM) 71-63-74, Peter Uihlein (USA) 69-69-70, Chanat Sakulpolphaisan (THA) 69-69-70, Austen Truslow (USA) 70-68-70.
209 – Gunn Charoenkul (THA) 69-67-73, Jinichiro Kozuma (JPN) 69-68-72, Jaewoong Eom (KOR) 74-63-72, Kevin Yuan (AUS) 65-68-76.
210 – Manav Shah (USA) 66-70-74, Pierre-Henri Soero (USA) 64-72-74, Christian Banke (USA) 68-67-75, Phachara Khongwatmai (THA) 68-70-72, Chang Wei-lun (TPE) 70-68-72, Berry Henson (USA) 69-69-72, Natipong Srithong (THA) 68-70-72.
211 – Siddikur Rahman (BAN) 69-67-75, Tatsunori Shogenji (JPN) 68-70-73, Karandeep Kochhar (IND) 71-67-73, Khalid Walid Attieh (am, KSA) 68-70-73.
212 – David Meyers (RSA) 70-67-75.
