Golf: Chawrasia tied 22nd, Lahiri joint 57th at Olympics

India's golfers S.S.P. Chawrasia and Anirban Lahiri finished tied 22nd and joint 57th after posting two-under 69 and four-over 75 respectively in the third round of the Olympic Games here on Saturday.

Chawrasia, who took his three-day total to two-under 211, was looking set for a top-15 finish but two closing bogeys forced him to settle for a 69.

Lahiri continued his struggle and posted 75 -- his worst score in three rounds. His 54-hole total stands at nine-over 222.

The round is yet to be completed with almost half of the 60-man field still on the course.

Chawrasia build on his opening-hole birdie and made birdies on the fifth and sixth before playing a bogey on the seventh. However, he remained unflustered and bagged another birdie on the ninth hole to sit at three-under in the front-nine.

In the back-nine, even though he got a bogey on the 11th, he roared back with birdies on the 13th and 14th.

But bogeys on the par-three 17th and par-five 18th pulled him down to two-under till the 54 holes as he completed the third with a score of 69.

Lahiri once again struggled as he got off to a poor start by getting a bogey on the second hole. He fought back to get a birdies on the next hole but a double bogey on the par-three fourth hole affected him.

Three more bogeys on the seventh, ninth and 14th was followed by a birdie on the 16th as he settled for a 75.

Meanwhile, at the top, Britain's Justin Rose fired 65 to take a one-shot lead over Sweden's Henrik Stenson, who carded 68 on the day.

Rose, who was fourth overnight, took his three-day total to 12-under 201 (67-69-65), while Stenson has a total of 11-over 202.

Overnight leader Marcus Fraser of Australia slipped to the third spot as he scored a 72 to have a total of nine-under 204.

Bubba Watson of the United States (67), Sweden's David Lingmerth (68) and Argentine Emillano Grillo (68) shared the fourth spot on six-under 207 total.

--IANS

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