India’s Shiv Kapur showed great composure by ending his round with an eagle-three on the 18^th hole to share the third round honours with overnight leader Paul Peterson of the United States at the Panasonic Open India on Saturday.

 

 

                             Kapur has won in Thailand and Chinese Taipei but never at home on the Asian Tour

 

Having started the day with an opening bogey-six, it was a testing day for Kapur as he had to dig deep into his reserves to grind out a three-under-par 69 to remain on course for his first win on his home course at the Delhi Golf Club.

 

Peterson started his round encouragingly with an eagle but fell off the leaderboard momentarily after bogeys on holes two, four and nine. A birdie on 14 before a closing eagle on 18 lifted the American back to the top with his three-day total of 13-under-par 203.

 

 

                                  Paul Peterson graduated from the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2014

 

India’s Shamim Khan, who is currently leading the PGTI Order of Merit signed for a 69 to take third place while S.S.P. Chawrasia, who won the Panasonic Open India in 2014, is tied for fourth with compatriots Om Prakash Chouhan and Sudhir Sharma at the US$400,000 event.

 

Thai veteran Thaworn Wiratchant remains confident of winning his 19^th Asian Tour title as he will head into the final round, three shots back of Kapur and Peterson in seventh place following a 68.

 

The Panasonic Open India is sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) and is the second leg of the Panasonic Swing, which is an aggregate points race that spans five events – in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Japan.

 

Did you know?

• The only time Shiv Kapur shared the lead going into the final round at the Delhi Golf Club was at the Sail Open in 2010. He would eventually finish second, five shots back of Rikard Karlberg.
• Kapur has won in Thailand and Chinese Taipei but never at home on the Asian Tour.
• Thawron Wiratchant is an 18-time Asian Tour winner and he has also won two Order of Merit titles in 2005 and 2012.
• He has enjoyed three top-10s in Thailand and Chinese Taipei this year.
• Paul Peterson graduated from the Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2014 and finished 22^nd on the Order of Merit that year.
• He finished tied-eighth in Indonesia last week before coming over to play at the Panasonic Open India.
• Peterson is making his debut appearance at the Panasonic Open India this week.
• S.S.P. Chawrasia won the Panasonic Open India 2014 and has six Asian Tour victories. Five of them have come from home soil.

 

Day 1: Ajeetesh Sandhu steals spotlight at Panasonic Open 2017

Day 2: Paul Peterson eases past India's ace Golfers to lead at Panasonic Open 2017