Samarth Dwivedi set for win

Bengaluru, June 19: Samarth Dwivedi’s week keeps getting better as he further extended his hold on the Tata Steel Southern India Amateur 2014 by carding a third consecutive under par round of 70, being played here at the Par-72 Karnataka Golf Association. He has now extended his lead over Viraj Madappa and Delhi’s Pratap Atwal, who are tied for second place at a gross of two-under-par 214 at the end of round 3.

Local lad Udayan Mane made good use of his home course when he came in at four-under par 68 for the day and went one-under-par 215 for the week to be tied for fourth place with Pukhraj Singh Gill. A further five strokes behind and tied for sixth place is the trio of Jaibir Singh, Aman Raj and Aalaap I. L., who also shot the only other under-par round of 70.

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Overnight leader Samarth Dwivedi began with a blockbuster drive on the 324 yards long Par-4 1st hole, to reach the green and hole out for an eagle 2. He followed that up with a birdie on the 2nd to go ten-under par for the week after 38 holes. However he dropped strokes on the next two holes before a birdie on the eighth had him take the turn at two under for the day and nine-under par for the week. He chipped in for another eagle on the par 5 11th hole before going bogey-bogey on the 14th and 15th holes to finish at a gross score of nine-under par 207.

Udayan Mane began by rolling in five straight pars before making consecutive birdies on the 6th and 7th holes only to bogey the par 5 9th hole, to turn one-under for the day. He gained three further strokes on the back nine by scoring four birdies and one bogey to come in with the best card of the day.

“Seven shot advantage is very encouraging and I hope to close it out tomorrow and record my first win of the season.” Said the leader, Samarth Dwivedi.

Top Scores (after 54 holes):

207 Samarth Dwivedi (68,69,70); 214Viraj Madappa (69,73,72), Pratap Atwal (70,70,74); 215 Udayan Mane (75,72,68), Pukhraj Singh Gill (73,69,73); 220 Aalaap I. L. (72,78,70), Jaibir Singh (74,74,72), Aman Raj (78,69,73); 221 Hemendra Chaudhary (76,72,73), Syed Saqib Ahmed (73,72,76),