SportsPosted at: Sep 24 2026 8:55PM


Khalin holds nerve, stays three clear heading into Bengaluru Open finale

Bengaluru, Sep 24 (UNI) Khalin Joshi may have lost three shots of his cushion, but the Bengaluru golfer remains firmly in the driver's seat as the Bengaluru Open heads into a tense final round at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA).
Joshi, chasing a home-course triumph, carded a battling three-under 69 on Thursday to take a three-shot lead at 18-under 198 after 54 holes of the Rs 1 crore event.
The 34-year-old had begun the third round six shots clear, but a strengthening wind, quicker greens and tougher pin positions turned what looked like a comfortable advantage into a genuine test of nerve.
And Joshi had to dig deep.
His round contained an eagle, three birdies and two bogeys, with the biggest moment coming on the par-five fifth. After his tee shot narrowly avoided the hazard, Joshi laid up before producing a moment of magic — holing his lob wedge from 94 yards for eagle.
"I played it as a 102-yard shot into the wind because I knew there was a backstop beyond the hole. The ball landed past the pin, spun back and went in," Joshi said.
The home golfer then endured a difficult stretch, including a three-putt and a bogey on the 15th after his drive landed in a plugged bunker lie. But instead of allowing the round to unravel, Joshi responded with birdies on his final two holes.
"I didn't strike the ball particularly well, but I held the round together and avoided playing myself out of the tournament," he said.
That resilience could prove crucial on Friday.
Joshi's nearest challenger is Gurugram's Manu Gandas, who produced the day's standout round — a flawless eight-under 64 — to climb to 15-under 201.
Gandas, the 2023 DP World PGTI Rankings champion, made eight birdies without dropping a shot, including three consecutive birdies from the 10th to the 12th. His charge slashed Joshi's lead from six shots to three.
"The difference today was that I converted more of them," Gandas said. "It was a well-balanced round, and going bogey-free for the second consecutive day was particularly satisfying."
Gandas also has history at KGA on his side, having won twice at the venue during his junior career.
Race to DP World India Championship leader Saptak Talwar moved into third at 11-under 205 after a four-under 68, while Veer Ahlawat and local teenager Manoj S shared fourth at 10-under 206.
The leaderboard, however, tells only part of the story. With Joshi holding a three-shot advantage and Gandas producing the kind of round capable of changing a tournament in a few holes, Friday promises a direct test of whether the Bengaluru golfer can turn his lead into a home victory.
Adding a local touch to the third round, Chikkarangappa struck a hole-in-one on the 13th while carding a 73. He was tied 33rd at one-over 217.
The Bengaluru Open is also the final tournament before the 2026 DP World PGTI Order of Merit's top 60 are confirmed, with players inside the cut-off retaining their playing rights for the 2026-27 season.
The fifth edition of the Bengaluru Open, powered by IndianOil, concludes on Friday.
UNI BDN
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