Golconda Masters 2020: Veer Ahlawat takes 1-shot lead over Udayan Mane in Round 3

Golconda Masters 2020: Veer Ahlawat takes 1-shot lead over Udayan Mane in Round 3

Key Highlights - 

. Veer Ahlawat surges ahead with a 66 in round three, leads by one over Udayan Mane

. Mohammad Sanju returns day’s best 64
to be tied 10th

{Press Release}: Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat posted a classy five-under-66 to surge ahead in round three of the Vooty & Haldi Presents Golconda Masters Golf Championship 2020 Powered by Telangana Tourism being played at the Hyderabad Golf Club (HGC). Ahlawat held a one-shot lead at 14-under-199.

Pune’s Udayan Mane delivered a 65 on the windiest day of the tournament to be placed second at 13-under-200 at the season-opening Rs. 40 lakh event.

Halfway leader Khalin Joshi of Bengaluru slipped to third place after a round of 71 took his total to 11-under-202.

Veer Ahlawat (65-68-66), lying second and two off the lead at the halfway stage, made a brisk start for the second day in succession as he birdied four of the first six holes thanks to two long putts and two quality chip-putts.

Veer said, “Keeping in mind the tough scoring conditions, I would say today’s round was my best effort so far this week. I had a terrific start, drove the ball well and made three birdie putts from a range of 10 to 25 feet. I made only one error on the seventh and that came against the run of play. Importantly, I recovered well after that.

Udayan Mane’s (68-67-65) week has progressively gotten better. He has zoomed from tied 18th in round one to tied seventh after day two and now moving up to the second place. Mane, the winner of last season’s year-ending TATA Steel Tour Championship, had problems judging the wind direction that resulted in a bogey and a double-bogey for him on the fifth and seventh thus negating his birdie on the sixth.

Udayan said, “I’m working on my swing at the moment since it’s the start of the season. In that context, I’m pretty happy with my hitting today. My short-game was better though and helped me recover from tough spots.

Khalin Joshi mixed four birdies with two bogeys and a double-bogey during his 71 that placed him third at 11-under-202.

Patna’s Aman Raj (68) and Delhi’s Shamim Khan (69) were tied fourth at 10-under-203.

Delhi’s Rashid Khan (71), the 2019 PGTI Order of Merit champion, was in tied seventh at seven-under-206.

Mohammad Sanju of Kolkata shot the day’s best score of seven-under-64 which featured an eagle, six birdies and a bogey. Sanju was tied 10th at six-under-207.

Bengaluru’s Viraj Madappa (70) was also placed tied 10th.

Venkkat Gautham (69-72-73), the only Hyderabad-based professional to make the cut, occupied tied 33rd place at one-over-214.