Hua hin: Gaganjeet Bhullar's game finally clicked yesterday, after uncharacteristically struggling this season, as he took the third-round lead at the Black Mountain Championship.
The Indian was at his imperious best, shooting a six-under-par 66 for a tournament total of 19 under, and a two-shot lead over none other than the player of the year so far, American John Catlin.
Catlin fired a 65 here at the Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin -- where conditions were far from ideal with grey skies and rain persisting all day.
His compatriot Michael Maguire carded a 68 and is another shot back, while Taiwan's Lee Chieh-po fired the lowest round of the day, a 64, to sit in fourth, an additional stroke behind, with Thai golfer David Boriboonsub, who returned a 67.
Bhullar, the 36-year-old from Amritsar, has triumphed 11 times on the Asian Tour -- the most by an Indian -- but dogged by a sore hip this year he has not finished better than joint 33rd, at the International Series Morocco. After missing the last three cuts, he is currently 123rd on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
However, the rebound appears to have begun this week, and a 12th win is a real possibility.
"It was a good round of golf to be honest," said the Indian star, who made six birdies and started the day sharing the lead with Suteepat Prateeptienchai.
"I think the best part was that it was a bogey-free round. I probably hit about 17 greens in regulation, so that gave me a good opportunity to make lots and lots of birdies. I putted quite well today, I would say as good as yesterday, and drove the ball well, just missed two fairways today. But other than that, I think it was a solid round."
Catlin is aiming to complete a hat-trick this week, after a phenomenal season that has seen him win twice: the International Series Macau and the Saudi Open, back-to-back.
"It was a grind, you know, it's hard to keep everything dry. It was on and off all day, it was rain and then it kind of stopped, and then it would come back. And then it would get heavy, I felt like I was constantly having to adjust my numbers and what shots I was playing, so yeah, to come out with 65 is definitely nice," said Catlin, who dropped only one shot yesterday and carded eight birdies.
Suteepat shot a 71 and is five behind Bhullar, along with Italian Stefano Mazzoli, in with a 70.
The Indian was at his imperious best, shooting a six-under-par 66 for a tournament total of 19 under, and a two-shot lead over none other than the player of the year so far, American John Catlin.
Catlin fired a 65 here at the Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin -- where conditions were far from ideal with grey skies and rain persisting all day.
His compatriot Michael Maguire carded a 68 and is another shot back, while Taiwan's Lee Chieh-po fired the lowest round of the day, a 64, to sit in fourth, an additional stroke behind, with Thai golfer David Boriboonsub, who returned a 67.
Bhullar, the 36-year-old from Amritsar, has triumphed 11 times on the Asian Tour -- the most by an Indian -- but dogged by a sore hip this year he has not finished better than joint 33rd, at the International Series Morocco. After missing the last three cuts, he is currently 123rd on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
However, the rebound appears to have begun this week, and a 12th win is a real possibility.
"It was a good round of golf to be honest," said the Indian star, who made six birdies and started the day sharing the lead with Suteepat Prateeptienchai.
"I think the best part was that it was a bogey-free round. I probably hit about 17 greens in regulation, so that gave me a good opportunity to make lots and lots of birdies. I putted quite well today, I would say as good as yesterday, and drove the ball well, just missed two fairways today. But other than that, I think it was a solid round."
Catlin is aiming to complete a hat-trick this week, after a phenomenal season that has seen him win twice: the International Series Macau and the Saudi Open, back-to-back.
"It was a grind, you know, it's hard to keep everything dry. It was on and off all day, it was rain and then it kind of stopped, and then it would come back. And then it would get heavy, I felt like I was constantly having to adjust my numbers and what shots I was playing, so yeah, to come out with 65 is definitely nice," said Catlin, who dropped only one shot yesterday and carded eight birdies.
Suteepat shot a 71 and is five behind Bhullar, along with Italian Stefano Mazzoli, in with a 70.
