Anirban Lahiri maintain lead

Bangalore, June 14 (UNI) Local lad and India's number one amateur Anirban Lahiri carded a two-under 70 to maintain a five stroke advantage atop the leader, board at the end of the penultimate round of the LG Eagleton Amateur Golf Championship here today.

Lahiri's tournament tally now stands at 13-under 203.

Meanwhile, Delhi's Raj Randhawa brought in the day's best card of five under 67 to occupy the second position at 208. Chandigarh's H S Kang was in third place at 214 after shooting a one-under 71, while Pune's Moin Malak was a further stroke behind in fourth place at 215. Malak also shot a 71 today.

Noida's Simarjeet Singh brought in a card of two under 70 to share the fifth place with local lad Chikkarangappa and Delhi's Saurabh Bahuguna at 216. Bahuguna shot a 72 while Chikkarangappa managed a round of 74.

Sri Lankan duo of Mithun Perera and K Prabagaran carded rounds of 75 and 72, respectively to share the eighth place with Arshdeep Tiwana at 217. Tiwana shot a four over 76.

Lahiri started the third round on a sound note, sinking a 15 footer putt on the first hole for a birdie. After a series of pars, he missed a six footer putt on the seventh for a bogey but birdied the next hole to make the turn at one under.

On the back nine, Lahiri consolidated his lead with a birdie on the 13th but missed another close putt to bogey the 14th. A birdie on the 16th saw him end the day at two under.

''I played a very loose round today. I wasn't focused enough and it was showed in my putting. I missed some five close putts,'' said Lahiri.

Randhawa had a bogey-free round. After nine consecutive pars on the front nine, Randhawa birdied the 10th, 11th and 15th and did one better on the 16th where he chipped in from 80 yards for an eagle. ''My short game was really fantastic today,'' said Randhawa.

''I was in control of the situation and that probably helped me on the back nine. As for tomorrow, I will play my natural game and take it hole by hole,'' he added.

Kang started the day with birdies on the opening two holes but dropped shots on the third and fifth. Another birdie on the ninth saw him make the turn at one under. On the back nine, he bogeyed the 12th, birdied the 14th and 16th and ended the round with a bogey on the 18th.

''The conditions were much better than yesterday and the greens were in great shape. My putting and iron play let me down as I missed a lot of short putts,'' said Kang.

Tarun Goghale brought in the day's second best card of four under 68. He had a near perfect round erring as he did only once on the second. He had birdies on the first, fifth, eighth, 13th and 17th.

On the 17th he came close to carding a hole-in-one as his tee shot landed just inches from the pin.

Scores (after 54 holes): 203 Anirban Lahiri (66, 67, 70), 208 Raj Randhawa (71, 70, 67), 214 HS Kang (69, 74, 71), 215 Moin Malak (70, 74, 71), 216 Simarjeet Singh (72, 74, 70), Saurab Bahuguna 216 (68, 76, 72), 216 Chikkarangappa (71, 71, 74), 217 K Prabagaran (71, 74, 72), 217 Arshdeep Tiwana (74, 67, 76), 217 Mithun Perera (73, 69, 75), 218 Amanjyot Singh (75, 72, 71), 218 Jasjeet Singh (74, 73, 71), 219 Tarun Ghogale (74, 77, 68), 219 Gagan Verma (73, 74, 72), 219 Abhishek Jha (75, 72, 72).

UNI