Chiba, April 4 (IANS) India’s Karandeep Kochhar had to dig deep and work hard to secure a Tied-4th place after round three at the US$ 2 million International Series Japan at the Caledonian Golf Club in Chiba, Japan, on Saturday.
After two consecutive bogey-free rounds, the Indian player experienced a mixed third round, carding five bogeys, which offset his three birdies, resulting in a 2-over 73. His total score of 8-under 205 places him two shots behind leaders Shugo Imahira from Japan and the Korean Hongatek Kim, both of whom are at 10-under 203 at the International Series season opener.
Kochhar began strongly with a birdie on the second hole, but consecutive bogeys on the third and fourth holes set him back. He attempted to recover with another birdie on the sixth but lost strokes again on the ninth and 12th holes. He then birdied the 14th and bogeyed the 17th, finishing the day with a score of 2-over.
Meanwhile, Korea’s Hongtaek Kim maintained the lead for the third consecutive day after a back-and-forth finish in the closing stages, which saw Japan’s Shugo Imahira join him at the top.
Kim, who began the round with a one-shot lead, shot a 72, one over par, and remained at 10-under, while his playing partner Imahira carded a 71.
Korea’s Yubin Jang is one shot behind after scoring a 71 at Caledonian Golf Club, located outside Tokyo, trailing Australian Travis Smyth and Kochhar by one stroke.
Smyth scored 68 in the opening event of the season on The International Series, which is the top-level series on the Asian Tour, providing a route to the LIV Golf League via The International Series Rankings.
Kim managed to hold onto his lead on a windy day despite a challenging back nine with bogeys on holes 10, 12, and 14, while Imahira, Jang, and Smyth each birdied the 18th. “I played really well on the front nine, especially managing the wind, but the conditions changed on the back nine, and I wasn’t able to adjust as well. That made things a bit more difficult,” Kim said.
The 32-year-old aims for his second Asian Tour victory, after winning the GS Caltex Maekyung Open on home soil two years ago. A win on Sunday would mark his first title on The International Series.
Imahira faced difficulties on the inward half, dropping shots on holes 14 and 15 before making a closing birdie. He aims to be the first player from Japan to win this title, following last year’s victory by Australian Lucas Herbert in the inaugural event.
Having secured 10 victories on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO), including the 2022 Asia Pacific Open Golf Championship Diamond Cup, and winning consecutive JGTO Money List titles from 2018, he is one of the favourites to watch out for.
“The wind made it really tough today; it was swirling, and we had some sudden gusts out there. I really wanted to finish at even, so it was nice to make that birdie at the end. I’m looking forward to going into tomorrow with the lead,” he said.
Many will be watching closely to see how Jang performs on Sunday. He will also be one of the favourites as one of Korea’s brightest prospects.
Turning professional in 2023 after aiding Korea in winning the gold medal in the team competition at the Asian Games, he achieved two wins on the Korean PGA Tour in 2024 and was subsequently chosen to join the LIV Golf League last year.
Although he couldn’t keep his league playing rights this year, he appears to have bounced back from the experience even stronger.
“I missed a few putts early on, and the wind started to pick up, so I knew it wouldn’t be easy for anyone to go really low. I just tried to stay patient and keep myself in the round. My shots weren’t at their best, but I was able to adjust towards the end, which helped me finish on a positive note,” the 23-year-old said.
He will be paired with Kim, a player he is familiar with, and Imahira on Sunday.
Smyth’s name appearing on the leaderboard again this season will also keep the leaders on their toes.
Currently placed second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit after finishing third and fifth in the first two events, he also secured the Challenger PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit last month. The final day at Chiba promises excitement, as only four shots separate the top 25 players on the leaderboard.
–IANS
vi/bsk/