Om Prakash Chouhan best-placed Indian after day 3 of India Championship

Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra (67-67) leads the field at a total of 14-under as he was four-under through 11 holes in his third round when play was suspended due to fading light at 17:44 hrs local time, as per the PGTI press release.

The four hours and fifty minutes of playing time lost to rain on Wednesday resulted in a backlog due to which round two finished earlier today. A total of 77 players made the halfway cut of even-par 144. Twenty-six players out of a total of 77 managed to complete their third round on Saturday before suspension of play.

Om Prakash Chouhan, who played the DP World Tour in 2024 after topping the PGTI Tour Order of Merit in 2023, had played just two holes, both pars, in the second round when play was suspended on Friday. He came out and played 34 holes on Saturday.

Chouhan, a winner of 12 titles, produced four birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey in his second round of 72 during the first half of the day to end the halfway stage in tied 29th place.

Om Prakash, currently ranked seventh in the DP World PGTI Order of Merit, then came up with two birdies and a bogey along with some crucial par-saves in his third round of 71 in the latter half of the day.

Chouhan said, My body was feeling very tight after playing 36 holes, but I stayed focused on my game. It was a steady round.

I have played here many times, so I know how to plan my way around the course and where to position the ball. That experience has helped me.

I am not thinking too much about being the leading Indian. I am concentrating on my own game.

After finishing my second round, I went to the training room, said Chouhan. I have not allowed myself to get distracted. I have one target: to focus on my game, my tee shots and my second shots.

Earlier in the morning, Yuvraj Sandhu (75-68) produced the most dramatic fightback, making seven birdies in his final 10 holes, including four in the last five, to finish at one-under 143. From being 3-over through the first seven holes in his second round, he picked seven birdies between the ninth and the 18th for a days work of 68 and made the cut. He was even through five holes in the third round and at par through 50 holes at tied 60th.

PGTI Order of Merit leader Saptak Talwar (71-73) was even-par through 12 holes in the third round to be tied 60th.Anirban Lahiri (70-73) at 1-under through 16 in the third round was tied 48th. (ANI)