Shaurya Bhattacharya shot a one-under 71 to retain a two-shot lead at 10-under 206 after Round 3 of the Rs 1 crore Kolar Open. Angad Cheema and Mohd Azhar are tied second at eight-under, while Czech golfer Stepan Danek carded a nine-under 63 to move fourth.

Delhi golfer Shaurya Bhattacharya leads the Kolar Open by two shots heading into the final round at ZION Hills Golf County | File Photo

Kolar, Karnataka, August 20, 2026: Shaurya Bhattacharya shot a one-under 71 to retain a two-shot lead after the third round of the second edition of the INR 1 crore Kolar Open presented by ZION Hills Golf County on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The 23-year-old Delhi golfer, who began the day three strokes clear, followed his opening rounds of 68 and 67 with a one-under 71 to reach 10-under 206. His advantage was reduced by one, but he remained in control heading into the final round.

Challengers Close In

Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema (73-68-67) and Hyderabad’s Mohd Azhar (70-68-70) shared second place at eight-under 208.

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Cheema made the strongest move among Bhattacharya’s nearest challengers, returning a five-under 67 to climb into contention. Azhar stayed in the hunt with a two-under 70.

The Czech Republic’s Stepan Danek (76-70-63) produced the lowest round of the day, firing a bogey-free nine-under 63 featuring nine birdies. His round included four consecutive birdies from the first through the fourth as he climbed from tied 14th overnight to fourth place at seven-under 209.

Bangladesh’s Badal Hossain (69-72-69) occupied fifth place at six-under 210, while Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat (71-71-69), the 2024 DP World PGTI Rankings champion, was sixth at five-under 211.

Bhattacharya Battles Conditions

Bhattacharya’s round was played in testing weather, with rain and strong winds making the back nine particularly demanding. The three-time DP World PGTI winner struck the ball well but missed two short putts during the closing stretch.

“The rain and strong winds made the conditions difficult, especially on the back nine,” said Bhattacharya. “I hit the ball well but missed two short putts coming home.”

A birdie on the final hole provided a timely lift and allowed him to restore a two-shot cushion ahead of Sunday’s final round.

“Finishing with a birdie was important and gave me a positive end to the round,” he said.

Bhattacharya Sticks To Plan

Bhattacharya, currently 16th in the season rankings, does not plan to alter the approach that has kept him at the top of the leaderboard through the first three days.

“The plan is to keep finding fairways and hitting greens,” he said. “That approach has worked well over the first three rounds, so I’ll stay with it tomorrow.”

Current DP World PGTI Rankings leader Saptak Talwar (72-71-70), who spent the summer competing on the HotelPlanner Tour, improved from tied ninth to seventh place at three-under 213.

Defending champion Kshitij Naveed Kaul (73-75-66) of Delhi made one of the day’s biggest moves. His six-under 66 lifted him from tied 22nd to a share of eighth place at two-under 214.

Kaul was joined by Panipat’s Shubham Jaglan (70-73-71) and Jaipur’s Prakhar Asawa (71-71-72). Jaglan arrived in Bengaluru after securing his maiden professional title at last week’s Coal India Open in Kolkata.

The tournament is supported by Title Partner ZION Hills Golf County, DP World PGTI’s Umbrella Partner DP World, alongside Tour Partners Axis Bank, Amul, Amrutanjan Enerlyte, Air India Maharaja Club, Campa and Kalyani.

About DP World PGTI

The DP World Professional Golf Tour of India serves as the official governing and sanctioning body for men’s professional golf in India and is a recognised member of the ‘International Golf Federation’ and the ‘International Federation of PGA Tours’. DP World PGTI also enjoys a strategic alliance with the DP World Tour (European Tour).

DP World PGTI events offer ‘Official World Golf Ranking’ (OWGR) points. Global logistics leader DP World is the Title Partner and Official Umbrella Partner of the DP World PGTI. The DP World PGTI is led by its President, Padma Bhushan Shri. Kapil Dev, an iconic sporting legend who continues to inspire athletes and audiences nationwide.

For more information on DP World PGTI, please visit our website: www.pgtofindia.com

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