Sri Lankan N. Thangaraja raced into the third round lead at the PGTI’s CG Open Golf Tournament 2018 after posting a four-under-66 at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club (BPGC) on Friday.

Thangaraja, lying overnight, tied fourth and four off the lead, threw his hat in the ring at the season’s 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.

Delhi’s Rashid Khan, 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.1 crore event.

N. Thangaraja (66-68-66), a winner on the PGTI this season, raised hopes of a fourth career title with his superb 66 on day three. Thangaraja didn’t have the ideal start when he bogeyed the first hole but he fought back with a couple of accurate tee shots on the sixth and 10th, both par-3s, where he left himself five feet birdie conversions that negated the slow start.

Rashid 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. 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.

Yashas Chandra, playing only his eighth event as a professional, was impressive for the third straight day as he followed up his opening 66 with consecutive rounds of 68. He mixed three birdies with a bogey on Friday to get in a position that could see him improve upon his previous best of fifth place which he achieved at Chandigarh last month. 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 day’s best score. It placed the Delhi golfer in tied eighth at five-under-205.