KATHMANDU, AUGUST 25
Top Nepali pro Sukra Bahadur Rai slipped down to 48th position after the third round of the Chennai Open Golf Championship at the TNGF Cosmo Golf Club in Chennai today.
Rai, who began the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) event with a four-under 68 before faltering to three-over in the second day, fell to tied 38th after he settled for one-over 73. He posted even-par 216 to share the 38th place with four Indian pros.
Rai carded one-under 36 on the front nine before playing two-over 37 in the latter half. He made a flying start with two consecutive birdies and added another on the fifth to three-under for the day.
But he dropped one each shot on seventh and ninth before taking the turn.
Rai failed to bounce back in the back nine after he faced bogeys on the 11th, 15th and 16th holes before carding a birdie on the 17th hole.
The Nepal No 1 pro said the approach shots let him down. "I could not play as expected due to poor chipping and putting," said Rai, who is playing in his first PGTI Tour.
Sri Lankan N Thangaraja carded second straight five-under 67 for 16-under 200 and took one-shot lead over India's Manu Gandas (68). Abhijeet Singh Chadha was third at 14-under 202.
A version of this article appears in the print on August 26, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
