Om Prakash Chouhan goes three ahead on day three

Om Prakash Chouhan goes three ahead on day three

Pune, April 26, 2012: Om Prakash Chouhan returned a solid four-under-68 to take a three-stroke lead in round three of the PGTI Players Championship presented by Oxford Golf & Country Club. The Mhow-based golfer now has a total of 13-under-203. Delhi’s Rashid Khan and Arshdeep Tiwana of the Golden Greens Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, share second place at 10-under-206.

Om Prakash Chouhan (66-69-68), the overnight joint leader along with Arshdeep Tiwana, got some early breakthroughs with birdies on the first, third and fifth that helped him open up a lead. Chouhan, who is looking for his maiden professional title, sank a 12-footer on the first and followed that up with an amazing tee shot on the par-3 third that stopped one foot from the pin. Om Prakash chipped-in from the edge on the fifth to go to three-under for the day.

Chouhan continued to impress as he added birdies on the ninth and 11^th. The 25-year-old bogeyed the 12^th but made six straight pars thereafter to close the day with a four-under score.

Chouhan said, “I just took it hole by hole today and did not get ahead of myself. After sinking birdies early in the round, I focused on playing consistent golf and making all fairways and greens. I got a good bounce on the fifth and as a result managed to chip-in.

“My brother Deepak Chouhan, who is caddying for me, has read the lines well for me this week and his club suggestion has also been spot-on. Both of us are combining well this week. I’ll look to target a two-under score on the final day in order to stay ahead,” added Chouhan.

Two other youngsters, 21-year-old Rashid Khan (71-66-69) and 24-year-old Arshdeep Tiwana (67-68-71) are in joint second place at 10-under-206. Rashid made five birdies and two bogeys in his third round of 69 while Arshdeep’s 71 on Thursday included four birdies and three bogeys.

Shamim Khan of Delhi lies in fourth place at eight-under-208 while Pune’s Pravin Pathare and Harendra Gupta of Chandigarh are in tied fifth at four-under-212.