Incheon, May 3: Gaganjeet Bhullar was unable to recover from a disappointing star of three bogeys in the first five holes as he shot 3-over 74 in the third round of the GS Caltex Maekyung Open today. Bhullar, who briefly lead on the second day before ending the second day at Tied-sixth.
He is now Tied-27th with rounds of 70-68-74 he is 1-over for 54 holes and seven shots behind the co-leaders, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and local man, Baekjun Kim, who are tied for the lead at 8-under with one day to go.
Bhullar’s woes began with bogeys on the first and he had two more on the fourth and the fifth holes. A birdie on the ninth was a small consolation but two bogeys against one birdie on the back nine meant a round of 74.
Thailand’s Janewattananond will have an opportunity to claim his first title in three years as he finished in share of the third-round lead.
The 29-year-old, a seven-time winner on the Asian Tour and the Order of Merit champion in 2019, carded a battling three-under-par 68 here at Namseoul Country Club.
He shares the lead with Baekjun Kim from Korea, who emerged from a tightly packed leaderboard brimming with talent, after firing a 66. Kim won the opening event of the season on the Korean PGA Tour last month.
Canada’s Yonggu Shin (68) and Korean Hyungjoon Lee (71), the second-round leader, are one stroke back in joint third.
Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent – another Asian Tour star looking for his first victory since 2022 – is a shot further back after shooting a 68. He is in solo fifth place and one ahead of Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut, who returned a 69.
Richard T. Lee was well and truly in the hunt but bogeyed the last two holes. The Canadian, who won on the Korean PGA Tour last weekend, carded a 71 and is eight behind the pacesetters.
