Cheonan: India’s S Chikkarangappa carded six-over 75 to slip to Tied-28th after the third round of the Kolon Korea Open at the Woo Jeong Hills Country Club here on Saturday.
Chikka (69-73-75), who began the week with a two-under 69 to be in Top-5 after the first day, is one of the two Indians to make the cut out of the five golfers who started the tournament.
The other one is Honey Baisoya (73-72-75) at 7-over and Tied-41st.
Atwal, who shot 67-73 in the first two rounds, added a 70 and is now Tied-36th. After starting from the 10th, Atwal had back-to-back bogeys on 12th and 13th. Shiv Kapur (71-71), Ajeetesh Sandhu (70-74), Rahil Gangjee (76-71), Khalin Joshi (76-73) and Viraj Madappa (77-73) missed the cut while Jeev Milkha Singh and Om Prakash Chouhan withdrew after first round of the weather-hit event.
Japan’s Yoshinori Fujimoto had a closing birdie which gave him the outright lead after he signed for a third round five-under-par 66. The Japanese’s three-day total of 13-under-par 200 gave him a slender one-shot advantage over Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick who posted rounds of 65 and 66 respectively at the season-opening event of the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).
Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat (66) shared fourth place with Korea’s Doyeob Mun (67) and tournament headliner Paul Casey of England (68) on matching 203 total. Fujimoto showed no signs of fatigue despite returning early to the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club to complete his remaining 11 holes from his second round.
After snatching the second round lead with a 67, the Japanese held onto his pole position by marking his card with four birdies, one eagle and a bogey.
