Chengdu: After two successive 66s, it was a bleak day for Jeev Milkha Singh as he managed just two birdies against one bogey for a one-under 71 and slipped to tied ninth at the Volvo China Open on Saturday.
Shiv Kapur, the only other Indian in the field played an even par 72 in the third round with two birdies on the front nine and two bogeys on back nine at the Luxehills International Country Club.
Kapur is now six-under 210 and in tied 56th place. SSP Chowrasia had missed the cut earlier.
The wind changed the course dramatically on third day and forced the golfers play carefully.
Jeev was 13-under for 54 holes and five shots behind leader Nicolas Colsaerts, who will take a one shot lead into the final round as the Belgian seeks a first European Tour title.
Colsaerts, 28, produced a third round 66 to reach 18 under par, one stroke clear of Han Cheng-won, who was the first round leader.
Jeev birdied the first, bogeyed the second and birdied the seventh before parring the next 11 holes.
Colsaerts was the second youngest player ever to come through The European Tour Qualifying School when he graduated on his 18th birthday in 2000, but he struggled to establish himself at the top level until last year, when he managed five top-10 finishes and finished 67th on The Race to Dubai.Colsaerts, the longest hitter on Tour in 2010, played the four par fives in five under par courtesy of an eagle at the first and three birdies.
The 19 year old former Asian Amateur champion, Han, who after a first round 64 dropped out of top-10 with a 70 on second day, birdied five of his first seven holes en route to a best-of-the-day 65.
Irelands Peter Lawrie and France`s Gregory Havret are tied for third after both carded 68s to advance to 16 under.Overnight leader Jamie Donaldson failed to capitalise on his sparkling 61 as the Welshman slipped to fifth with a 70, but 22 players are within six shots of lead on what promises to be an exciting final day.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.