Home favourite Vishesh Sharma grabs four-shot lead at Golconda Masters

Home favourite Vishesh Sharma extended his lead to four shots after a six-under 64 in the third round of the Telangana Golconda Masters. He reached 20-under 190, with Amardeep Malik second, while Saptak Talwar climbed to fifth with 61

Hyderabad: Local favourite Vishesh Sharma moved four shots clear of the field after producing a six-under 64 in the third round of the Rs 1 crore Telangana Golconda Masters at Hyderabad Golf Association here on Thursday.

The 19-year-old, who began the day tied for the lead with Amardeep Malik, made seven birdies and a solitary bogey to reach 20-under 190.

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Vishesh (60-66-64) has now held at least a share of the lead after each round. Playing at his home course, he followed his course-record-equalling opening 60 with rounds of 66 and 64 to establish a commanding advantage ahead of the final day.

Malik (61-65-68), a two-time winner on the DP World PGTI, remained the closest challenger at 16-under 194. The 41-year-old from Noida made three birdies and dropped his only shot on the par-three ninth for a two-under 68.

Delhi’s Honey Baisoya (64-64-68) moved up one place to third at 14-under 196. Baisoya, who began the round two shots behind the joint leaders, mixed four birdies with two bogeys in another 68.

Opening-round co-leader Dhruv Sheoran (60-67-70) of Gurugram made three birdies and three bogeys in an even-par 70. He slipped to fourth at 13-under 197, seven shots behind Vishesh.

Despite his sizeable advantage, Vishesh said playing in familiar surroundings provided more of an emotional lift than a technical edge.

“Playing in Hyderabad is always special,” he said. “If there is an advantage, I would describe it as more of a morale and mental boost than a course advantage.”

Vishesh has tried to treat the tournament like one of his regular rounds at the venue, an approach that has helped him remain relaxed while leading a professional event.

“There is certainly a difference between playing a tournament here and playing a casual round,” he said. “But I try to approach it as though I’m playing a normal game with my friends. That helps me stay relaxed and manage the pressure.”

Vishesh currently sits 25th on the DP World PGTI Order of Merit, one position outside the top 24 who will earn places in the season-ending DP World India Championship.

However, he is determined not to let the qualification race distract him during the final round.

The day’s lowest round came from current DP World PGTI Rankings leader Saptak Talwar (70-67-61), who surged from tied 17th to fifth at 12-under 198.

Talwar’s nine-under 61 featured an eagle on the par-five fifth, eight birdies and one bogey. He also finished strongly with birdies on two of his last three holes.

Talwar played alongside Veer Ahlawat and defending champion Jamal Hossain, his former teammates from 72 The League. The relaxed atmosphere within the group helped him rediscover his rhythm.

Talwar will represent India at the Asian Games in Japan from September 30 to October 3 alongside Ahlawat, the 2024 DP World PGTI Rankings champion.

Panchkula’s 15-year-old Arjunveer Shishir (72-63-67), who became the youngest player to make the cut on the DP World PGTI, produced a bogey-free 67 to move into a share of 11th at eight-under 202.

Defending champion Jamal Hossain (72-66-72) of Bangladesh slipped from tied 24th to tied 41st at even-par 210.