Rashid in lead, Bhullar one behind in Indonesia

Indias Rashid Khan was tied for the lead and Gaganjeet Bhullar was one shot behind at the end of 54 holes in the USD 500,000 Bank Mandiri Indonesia Open here on Saturday.Sharing the lead with Rashid 64 who shot 8-under, was Thailands Atiruj Winaicharoenchai 68.The Thai had a late eagle on 14th, while Rashid birdied the 18th.

India's Rashid Khan was tied for the lead and Gaganjeet Bhullar was one shot behind at the end of 54 holes in the USD 500,000 Bank Mandiri Indonesia Open here on Saturday.

Sharing the lead with Rashid (64) who shot 8-under, was Thailand's Atiruj Winaicharoenchai (68).

The Thai had a late eagle on 14th, while Rashid birdied the 18th. The two went into the lead taking advantage of late lapses by their rivals. Rashid posted a brilliant bogey free eight-under-par 64 while Atiruj, who carded a magnificent 63 on Friday, fired a 68 for a tournament total of 14 under.

Bhullar, aiming for a record third success here in 2013 and 2016, shot 68 and is one shot back. Bhullar may well have been part of a three-way lead, but he bogeyed his 18th.

Bhullar shares third Thailand's Itthipat Buranatanyarat (72), the 36-hole leader, who bogeyed three times in last holes; and Chapchai Nirat (68), who had a double and a bogey in last two and Chinese Taipei's Chang Wei-lun (72), who bogeyed last two holes.

Among other Indians Veer Ahlawat (66) was tied 18th, Udayan Mane (67) was tied 25th, while Shiv Kapur (71) and Ajeetesh Sandhu (67) were tied 25th. M Dharma (72) was tied 35th and Karandeep Kochhar (69) was tied 41th. S Chikkarangappa (74) was tied 66th and Honey Baisoya (76) dropped to tied 67th.

''Yeah, it was a pretty good round, I was minus five after nine,'' said Rashid Khan, who has won twice before on Tour, both in 2014.

''I had that somewhere in my mind that I can close the gap (on the leaders) but I had no idea that it was going to be this situation in the end. I made really good birdies on 11 and 12 so I was seven under after 12, and knew we had like two or three good holes coming up. ''And I knew the stretch wouldn't be easy. And so the pars I saved on 14, 15 and 17, you know that gave me momentum.'' Thailand's Poom Saksansin carded a 63, the joint lowest score of the week, and Brazil's Adilson Da Silva returned a 66, and are joint seventh with Kho.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)