Kochhar slips but stays in top-5
Indian golfer Karandeep Kochhar returned a card of 73 in the third round to slip Tied-4th at the International Series Japan, here Saturday.
Kochhar after bogey free rounds on the first two days (67-65) had five bogeys on a windy third day though his three birdies lessened the blow.
With 73 he is now 8-under and Tied-4th after being Tied-second at the halfway stage. Korea’s Hongtaek Kim kept the lead for the third straight day after a see-saw contest over the closing stages that saw Shugo Imahira from Japan join him in front.
Kim, who started the round with a one-shot lead, fired a one-over-par 72 to sit on 10-under, with playing partner Imahira, in with a 71.
Korea’s Yubin Jang is one back following a 71 at Caledonian Golf Club, outside Tokyo, with Australian Travis Smyth and Kochhar, another stroke behind. The other Indian in the field Jeev Milkha Singh struggled to 7-over 78 and was now 6-over for two rounds and Tied-71st.
The other Indians: Gaganjeet Bhullar, SSP Chawrasia, Jyoti Randhawa and Shaurya. Bhattacharya had missed the cut.
Kochhar, playing in the lead group birdied the second, but bogeyed the third and the fourth. Another birdie on the sixth was followed by the ninth. On the back nine, two bogeys and one birdie meant a round of 73.
Kim did well to hang on to the lead on a windy day after a back nine saw him make bogeys on 10, 12 and 14, while Imahira, Jang and Smyth all birdied 18.
The 32-year-old is chasing his second win on the Asian Tour, having claimed the GS Caltex Maekyung Open on home soil two years ago, while success tomorrow would be his maiden title on The International Series.
He admitted to not having the greatest preparation coming into the week as his wife recently gave birth to their second child. Imahira had struggles of his own on the inward half, dropping shots on 14 and 15 before his closing birdie.
