Indian duo of Chikkarangappa S and Shubhankar Sharma holds the joint lead at after round three of the USD 120,000 TAKE Solutions India Masters 2015, an event jointly sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour (ADT) and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI).
Chikkarangappa and Shubhankar enjoys the joint lead at 19-under-197.
While reigning champion Chikkarangappa recorded a determined six-under-66 at his home course Eagleton, Shubhankar of the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, produced a fighting four-under-68 in round three.
Himmat Singh Rai, another golfer from the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, posted a three-under-69 to end the day in third place at 16-under-200.
Australian Jake Stirling shot the day's best score of eight-under-64 to be in fourth place at 15-under-201.
Chikkarangappa (65-66-66) returned a second successive 66 on day three to climb from overnight tied second to joint first.
Chikkarangappa, who was two behind leader Shubhankar at the halfway stage, made seven birdies and a lone bogey in the third round to prepare the ground for his title defence tomorrow.
The 22-year-old Chikkarangappa, looking for his seventh title and second win of the year, set himself up for eagles from a range of 12 to 30 feet on the seventh, 10th and par-4 17th where he drove the green, courtesy some quality hitting. However, he had to settle for birdies on each occasion. Nonetheless, the five-time winner on the PGTI drained long birdie putts on the ninth and 12th.
Chikka also landed his wedges within three feet on the fifth and 15th to pick up two more strokes. His only blemish of the day was on the sixth where he found the trees with his tee shot which led to a bogey.
Shubhankar (65-64-68), the overnight leader by two shots, continued to be one of the top contenders as he submitted a score of 68 today to share the lead with Chikka.
Finland's Teemu Putkonen, who made two eagles en route his 65 today, shared fifth place at 14-under-202 with Pune's Aditya Bhandarkar who shot a bogey-free 66.
Delhi golfers Rashid Khan and Naman Dawar and Americans Casey O'Toole, the ADT Order of Merit leader, and Greg Moss, the round one leader, stayed a further shot back in tied seventh position.
Bengaluru's Khalin Joshi and Sri Lankan Anura Rohana were tied 11th at 12-under-204.
