Simarjeet gains five-stroke lead

Chandigarh, Oct 19 (UNI) Simarjeet Singh of Oil India shot a penultimate round of two over 74 to leapfrog into a five-stroke lead at the LG Samarvir Sahi Amateur Golf Championship being played at the par-72 Chandigarh Golf Club, here today.

His tally after 54 holes stands at 219.

Abhijeet Singh Chadha and H S Kang, both from Chandigarh, were tied second at 224 after shooting rounds of 74 and 75 respectively.

Karan Vasudeva was a further stroke behind in fourth place at 225 after carding a penultimate round of 75.

Oil India's Manav Das brought in the day's best card of 73 to share the fifth place with Noida's Dipankar Kaushal at 226. Kaushal fired a penultimate round of 80 today.

Tarun Ghogale shot a 74 to occupy the seventh position at 228 while Gagan Verma was a further stroke behind in eighth position at 229 after shooting a 76 today. ONGC's Vikram Rana (77) and Lt Col S K Lakra (78) were tied ninth at 230.

When Simarjeet teed off today, most expected him to attack the pin from the word go. This, he did but paid dearly in the form of bogeys on the fifth and seventh to make the turn at two over. On the back nine, he dropped a shot on the 15th but recovered to fire a birdie on the 17th.

Abhijeet Chadha had birdies on the fourth and ninth, interspersed with a bogey on the seventh to make the turn at one over. On the fourth, Chadha chipped in from the front edge while on the ninth he hit a 30 footer left to right uphill putt. On the back nine, Chadha bogeyed the 12th and 15th and double bogeyed the 13th. A birdie on the 17th where he sank a 45 footer right to left uphill putt saw him end the day at 74.

HS Kang started badly with a bogey on the third where he missed an easy chip-putt. He birdied the sixth but dropped a shot on the seventh to take the turn at one over. On the back nine, he dropped shots on the 11th, 14th and 17th but signed off with a 25 footer birdie on the 18th.

Karan Vasudeva was inconsistent today. He had birdies on the second, fifth, 16th and 18 th but dropped shots on the fourth, ninth, 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th and 17th.

Scores (after 54 holes): 219 Simarjeet Singh (72, 73, 74); 224 Abhijit Singh Chadha (75, 75, 74), HS Kang (75, 74, 75); 225 Karan Vasudeva (76, 74, 75); 226 Manav Das (79, 74, 73), Dipankar Kaushal (74, 72, 80); 228 Tarun Ghogale (78, 76, 74); 229 Gagan Verma (78, 75, 76); 230 Lt. Col. SK Lakra ( 76, 76, 78), Vikram Rana (81, 72, 77); 231 Aman Guron (78, 75, 78); 232 Abhishek Jha (74, 80, 78), Lakhbir Lucky (80, 74, 78), Rahul Bajaj (78, 75, 79).

UNI