Kartik Sharma in sight of Top-10 as Windred continues fine run

Shanghai: Kartik Sharma moved up at the Asia-Pacific Championships carding five-under 67 after 68 a day earlier. Starting 11 behind the leader, Sharma shot the day’s second best score 67 to reach four-under 212 and T-11. He is four behind the lead shared by four players.

Things did not go well for the other Indians. Rayhan Thomas, 2018 runner-up, whose drives went right during a 79 including a triple bogey. He dropped to T-53. Harshjeet Singh Sethie (78) at 14-over was T-58 and Girraj Khadka (78) T-61.

Despite struggling with four bogeys in five holes from the eighth, Australian Blake Windred (74), kept a share of the lead at eight-under with a closing birdie. 

Joining Windred was Japan’s Ren Yonezawa (73), who seeks to emulate teammates Takumi Kanaya (2018 AAC) and Keita Nakajima (2018 Asian Games) with a prestigious amateur win. Yuto Katsuragawa (69) and Yung-Hua Liu (69) were co-leaders.

The wiry 19-year-old Sharma was in full flow. “I hit a lot of fairways. The two I missed I still managed to birdie them. I found every green and putted well, though I feel I left a shot or two out there,” said Sharma, who birdied all four Par-5s.

Coming to the 18th, Yonezawa led at nine-under, but he bogeyed and Windred, at seven-under, birdied for a two-shot swing.

“That final birdie was big. It  wasn’t my best performance, as all, but I was quite happy when I rolled that birdie putt in on the last,” said Windred.

Yonezawa said, “It was very, very tough conditions and tough pin placements.  I missed the finishing hole, 18.  But 1‑over is alright.”

Making it tight was the day’s best scorer Korea’s Won Jun Lee (66) and defending champion Takumi Kanaya (68) at seven-under, while China’s 2017 AAC champion Lin Yuxin (71) and Jun Min Lee (75) were at six-under.

Thirteen players, including Sharma, are within four shots of the lead, setting up an exciting final day.