Mukesh Kumar snatches DHL Open lead

The cream finally rose to the top as Mukesh Kumar, the No 1 player on the Hero Honda Indian Golf Tour, took the lead at the end of the third round in the Rs 600,000 DHL Open, being played at the par-70 Bombay Presidency Golf Club (BPGC), on Thursday.

The Mhow-based pro shot a round of level-par 70, but that was enough to give him a two-stroke advantage over Lucknow's Jumman. Mukesh tallied two-over 212 for 54 holes, while Jumman shot a 74 to be four-over 214. Devendra Patel, also from Mhow, shot the day's best card of two-under 68 and was in tied third place along with Ashok Kumar of Delhi at five-over 215.

Overnight leader Mohammed Salim had a disastrous start and was nine-over after six holes, but showed ample fighting abilities as he played the rest of the 12 holes to par. However, a nine-over 79 card pushed him to tied seventh place along with his brother Mohd Khokhon and Rezwan Ali at seven-over 217. Yusuf Ali and Akbar Ali (both Kolkata) were tied fifth at 216.

Mukesh started in a whirlwind fashion and was three-under after five holes with birdies on the first, fourth and fifth. However, the birdies dried up thereafter and he dropped shots on the eighth, 12th and 16th holes.

"I am delighted that I am the leader, but I am not at all happy with the way I took the lead. My game has not been up to the mark here. However, I am hundred per cent sure that I will win the DHL Open tomorrow," said the 33-year-old, who is in line for his sixth title of the season.

Jumman was two-over after 16 holes and looked set to tie with Mukesh for lead before making a crucial double bogey on the 17th hole.

"My putting was not up to the mark today, and that is the biggest gray area of my game right now. I hit the ball very well today as well. It feels bad to let a player like Mukesh off the hook because of a three-putt. But I am not going to give up without fighting tooth and nail till the final hole," said the 35-year-old.

Devendra Patel, who has recuperated from a painful shoulder injury that saw him miss five cuts in the first 12 tournaments of the season, was five-under after 10 holes, but made a bogey on the 12th and an unfortunate double bogey on the 16th, where his second shot caught a branch and went into the hazard.

Despite a 79, the smile never left Mohd Salim's face. "I just forgot how to putt in the first six holes. I had five three-putts to be nine-over with a triple, two double and two bogies. But I am very happy with the way I fought back thereafter. I am playing good golf and have not given up hope about what can happen on the final day," he said.

Sachin Nigade leads amateurs: Sachin Nigade continued to lead the amateur category with a third round score of 76. That gave him a three-day tally of 224, thus giving him a whopping 15-stroke advantage over the second placed Devang Sharma at 239.

SCORES (after 54 holes): 212 _ Mukesh Kumar (72,70,70); 214 _ Jumman (70,70,74); 215 _ Devendra Patel (73,74,68), Ashok Kumar (73,69,73); 216 _ Yusuf Ali (75,69,72), Akbar Ali (73,69,74); 217 _ Mohd Khokhon (76,72,69), Rezwan Ali (73,69,75), Mohammed Salim (68,70,79); 218 _ Raju Ali (74,72,72), Rohtas Singh (73,72,73); 219 _ Prakash Kubde (74,73,72), Sanjay Kumar (73,71,75); 220 _ Chini Ali (74,72,74), Dinesh Kumar (71,72,77);