CG Open: Rashid Khan at 2nd place, Chandra climbs to third

India's Rashid Khan slipped to the second place Friday in the PGTIs CG Open 2018 at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club here.

Khan, from Delhi, the halfway leader by three shots, slipped to second place after firing a one-over-71 which moved his total to nine-under-201 at the Rs one crore event.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan N Thangaraja raced into the third round lead in the tournament after posting a four-under-66.

Thangaraja, lying overnight tied fourth and four off the lead, threw his hat in the ring at the seasons penultimate event as his 54-hole total read 10-under-200.

Mysuru-based rookie Yashas Chandra submitted a card of 68 to rise into contention as he climbed from overnight tied fourth to third place at eight-under-202.

Khan (68-62-71), a two-time PGTI Order of Merit champion, looked set to extend his lead on day three when he birdied three of the first five holes. However, he had a disastrous stretch from the 13th to the 15th where he dropped a bogey followed by two double-bogeys, the latter coming as a result of three-putts.

After stuttering in the middle of the back-nine, Khan recovered just in time with two birdies on the last three holes to sign for a hard-fought 71 that kept him in the game.

Lucknow's Sanjeev Kumar (70) was in fourth place at seven-under-203. Delhi's Shamim Khan (66), Chandigarh's Abhijit Singh Chadha (69) and Gurugram-based Digvijay Singh (70) were all in tied fifth at six-under-204. Chiragh Kumar's bogey-free 64 was the days best score. It placed the Delhi golfer in tied eighth at five-under-205. Mumbai's Anil Bajrang Mane was tied 44th at five-over-215.