Sock Hwee Koh continues to lead the way at the LET’s Pre Qualifier in Asia, with a third round score of 69 enough to see her hold onto her one-shot advantage with 18 holes left to play in New Delhi.
The Singaporean star went into Day Three sitting at the top of the leaderboard, before another consistent day at Classic Golf and Country Club saw her maintain her position heading into the final round on Friday, as she remains the only player to have shot under-par in each of her first three rounds.
After dropping a shot on the first hole of the day, Koh came flying back to roll in three birdies in five holes around the turn to keep the chasing pack at bay, before a birdie on the last to keep hold of her lead heading into the final day with an overall score of -6.
“I actually felt like I played better yesterday but I scored better today. I was shaky at the start but then I holed a long par-putt on the fourth and that really calmed me down. After that I just stayed patient and kept giving myself chances,” she said.
“My putting was better today, after the fourth I started putting a bit more confidently, I still missed a few but that’s just golf – you make some you miss some – but hopefully I make them all tomorrow.
“I just keep telling myself there’s a lot of opportunities out there, so when I make a bogey I keep telling myself to stay patient because there’s so many chances. I just have to focus on the now – every hole and every shot – so then I don’t think about everything else that is a distraction.”
For the second day in succession, things didn’t get off to the best start for the 32-year-old in India, with a dropped shot at the first seeing her lose grip of her slender lead from the first two rounds of competition.
But after steadying the ship, Koh rediscovered her form on the back end of the front nine, with birdies on holes six and seven taking her under-par for the day, before picking up another shot on the tenth to move to -5 for the week.
And just as she did on Wednesday, the Singaporean finished the day in fine style with a birdie on the 18th, leaving her at the top of the leaderboard for the second successive day, although she isn’t getting ahead of herself with Friday’s final round still to come.
“Your mind has a way of looking too far ahead sometimes, so you just have to control what you are thinking about and not letting yourself get carried away,” she continued.
“Going into tomorrow I’ll keep thinking the same thing, I need to approach it shot by shot and keeping myself in the present.
“Hopefully I don’t start as shaky as today, and more importantly I just have to mind my own business tomorrow and not worry about what everyone else is doing.”
Local star Sneha Singh shot the round of the day on Thursday to put herself into contention with 18 holes left to play, with the Hyderabad-native shooting 66 to move herself into second position and just one shot off the lead.
The Indian star came flying out the blocks on Thursday with three birdies in her first five holes to move herself up the leaderboard – including a 30 foot putt on the second – before picking up shots on holes eight and nine to complete the front nine in an impressive 31 shots.
“I hit the ball really well today compared to the last two days, and I putted really well as well – I made some good putts, short and long – so everything was fine and nice, but I think it was especially down to my putter that I got the low score,” she said.
“The course here is really good and pure, it played really well. I find it challenging because the greens are really narrow and small – you have to hit within ten yards and be very accurate.”
Singh’s name was at the top of the leaderboard for a spell after another birdie on the tenth moved her to -6 for the day and -5 overall to sit alongside Koh, before dropping a shot on the par-five 14th with a three-putt from ten feet, and another bogey on the 16th.
She quickly made amends for those mistakes with an eagle on the last to remain the nearest challenger heading into the final round, with the 18-year-old shooting her lowest round since turning professional earlier in the year.
“On the last my drive went in the rough with a not so great lie, but it was downhill to the green so I took out my three wood and it rolled up to the green and I had a 12 foot putt – and as I was feeling good with my putter I got it in so it was a great way to finish.
“Tomorrow I’ll have the same approach, I’m just going to play the same way and have the same mindset. I’m not going to overthink it I’ll just have to carry on playing the way I have in the last three years.
“To be able to get to play in the Final Qualifier will be great for me, I was trying to compete last year as an amateur but I couldn’t get a visa, so I tried again this year and if it happens it will be a dream come true moment because I’ve always wanted to play on the tour.
“The Indian players on Tour at the moment have been so inspiring to all the young girls like me, it’s really good seeing them and hopefully we make it like they have.”
A second successive double-bogey on the first hole of the day saw Singh’s compatriot Hitaashee Bakshi playing catchup right from the start in Thursday’s action, but she fought back valiantly with birdies on holes four, five and eight to claw herself back into contention.
Two birdies and two bogeys in her final ten holes saw her finish the day with a score of 71, leaving her on -3 overall and just three shots back of the lead with the final round to come.
Thailand’s Onkanok Soisuwan remains in contention on -1 for the week after a third round score of 72, with South Africa’s Cara Gorlei catching the eye with a round of 69 to bring herself into a share of fourth.
Australia’s Jordan O’Brien and New Zealand’s Wenyung Keh sit in T6 on +1 after rounds of 71 and 75 respectively, whole Jahanvi Bakshi sits two shots further back to hold eighth spot with Neha Tripathi.
