Chennai, Aug 21 (IANS) Defending champion Mukesh Kumar fired a four-under 66 Friday to build up a seven-stroke lead going into the final day of the PGTI-125th Year Madras Gymkhana Club Tamil Nadu Open 2009.
Mukesh (65, 65, 66) now sits pretty on top of the leaderboard with 14-under 196. Digvijay Singh (65, 70, 68) and Vijay Kumar (68, 68, 67) are tied second with matching totals of seven under 203.

Mukesh Kumar consolidated on his overnight two-stroke lead as he made five birdies against one bogey in the third round. He was steady to begin with, making pars on the first six holes. He then made a tricky uphill putt from eight feet on the seventh to produce his first birdie of the day.

Mukesh’s accurate second shot on the eighth set up a three feet putt for birdie, which he went on to convert. The professional from Mhow dropped his only bogey of the day on the ninth, where he missed a two-footer for par.

Mukesh holed an amazing 17 feet downhill putt for birdie on the 11th and followed that up with two more birdies on the 14th and 15th. He chipped-in from about 20 feet on the 15th.

“I continued to putt well and that’s the reason why I have such a huge lead. I brought all my experience to the fore and did not play a very attacking game since it was much windier today. I knew the wind would keep all my nearest rivals from attacking the pin,” said Mukesh, who is now staring at his third PGTI title of the year.

Digvijay Singh had a bogey-birdie start in round three. After making a three-putted from 35 feet to bogey the first, he pulled one stroke back on the very next hole by sinking a 15-footer.

He soon picked up the pace with birdies on the seventh and eighth. Digvijay then missed out on some birdie opportunities from the 10th to the 14th as he failed to make some short putts.

The Gurgaon-based professional earned his last birdie of the day on the 16th where he hit his approach shot to within two feet of the pin. He bogeyed the 17th but closed with a good par on the 18th, having recovered after taking a penalty drop from the knee-high rough on the right.

Vijay Kumar carded a bogey-free 67 to be tied second along with Digvijay. His round included birdies on the seventh, 10th and 13th.

Feroz Ali Mollah, Shamim Khan and Vishal Singh are tied fourth at six under 204. Mollah’s 64 was the best score of the day.