Samui (Thailand): Anirban Lahiri returned a roller-coaster third round of one-over 72, packed with four birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey, to be placed tied fifth in the Queen`s Cup on the Asian tour.
Two-time Asian Tour winner Lahiri, who will make his debut in a Major next month at the British Open, is now two-under 211 for three rounds and within two shots of the leading foursome.
Himmat Rai (72) was tied 15th at one-over 214 for 54 holes, while Chiragh Kumar (71) carded his best round so far to move up to 40th.
Himmat had three birdies and three bogeys on front nine and one more bogey on the second nine. Chiragh played steady for two bogeys and two birdies.
Thai ace Thaworn Wiratchant uncharacteristically dropped four shots over his last five holes to allow unheralded countryman Varut Chomchalam, Filipino teenager Miguel Tabuena and Siddikur of Bangladesh into a share of the third round lead. Behind the leading quarter, there are five players in tied fifth place.
Lahiri dropped bogeys on the third and seventh and birdied the sixth to play the front nine in one-over 37. He bogeyed the 10th but got back that shot with a birdie on 12th.
A double bogey on par-3 13th set him back, but Lahiri despite not putting as well he would have hoped to fought back to birdie the 14th and 17th.
"I`m pretty disappointed with how I played. I made a lot of judgement errors today. I mis-clubbed a couple of holes, which cost me three shots. More than that, I missed about eight or 10 putts inside of 15 feet today. It was a day that could have been," Lahiri said.
Thaworn, the 2005 Asian Tour number one, was four shots ahead on another tough day at blustery Santiburi Samui Country Club before his game unravelled with misjudged tee-shots for two bogeys and a double and a card of one-over-par 72 for a total of four-under-par 209. Thaworn still has a chance of a record-equalling 13th Tour victory.
Varut, 23, produced a superb 66 to charge into the joint lead after starting the day six back while Siddikur, chasing a second win in Asia, rammed in a seven-foot birdie putt at the closing hole for a 71.
Tabuena, who has held a share of the lead since day one, overcame a double bogey and two bogeys with three birdies to ensure he has a chance of winning his maiden title on the Asian Tour.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, June 16, 2012, 17:54