Feroz, Mukesh set up exciting final day

Feroz Ali and Mukesh Kumar, the top-two golfers on the Hero Honda Golf Tour, set up what is bound to be a nerve-tingling final round at the Rs 600,000 Sir Padampat Singhania Open 2002.

While Feroz returned a three-under 69 to snatch a two-stroke lead over the field, Mukesh brought in the day's best card of five-under 67 to edge to within striking distance of his most feared rival.

The tournament, which is being played a the par-72, Noida Golf course, marks the 20th leg of the 2001-02 season's Hero Honda Golf Tour.

Feroz Ali's tournament tally stands at eight-under 208 with second placed Mukesh perched at six-under 210.

Lucknow's Sanjay Kumar continued to impress with a round of 71 placing him third at an aggregate of four-under 212.

Overnight leader Amit Dube (Noida) was placed fourth at two-under 214 while opening round leader Amritinder Singh (Chandigarh) was fifth at one-under 215.

A Mike Tyson versus Lennox Lewis fight would not attract a bigger crowd than what the blood bath between Feroz and Mukesh will pull together tomorrow.

"I am hell bent on winning this tournament," was what Feroz Ali had to say.

The exemplary form the Kolkatan is in was underlined by the fact that he made birdies on his opening two holes, despite being stuck behind a bush on the first occasion and a tree on the second.

"The confidence is so high right now, that I feel I can make a birdie from almost anywhere on the course," said the '98 Indian Open winner.

On his front-nine, Feroz's other eventful holes were the 4th, which he birdied and the 9th where he dropped his first shot of the day. His back-nine had its ups and downs but he came out unscathed in the end. A birdie on the 13th, was followed by back-to-back bogeys on the 15th and 16th.

"I missed a two feet par putt on the 16th but that did now worry me too much," he said. This was apparent when he ended his round in a birdie-birdie flourish. Feroz who has four tournament wins this season much like Mukesh is just 63 points behind his rival in the race for the 'Mahindra Champion Golfer of the Year' award and the accompanying prize cheque of Rs one million lakhs. A win here will lessen that gap by 30.

Mukesh Kumar was a little less optimistic that Feroz. "I am not playing as well as I ought to," he said despite bringing in a card of 67. "The feel is not consistently there, but the determination and concentration are. No matter how well Feroz Ali plays tomorrow, I will win," said the twice 'Champion Golfer of the Year' award winner.

Mukesh's round began with a birdie but a bogey on the following hole put him back on the starting block. A birdie on the eighth preceded an exemplary return journey, where he birdied the 14th, before returning a hat-trick of birdies on the 16th, 17th and 18th. He had only one bogey on the 12th.

"Both Feroz and me are having sleepless nights no matter whether we admit it or not. To tell you the truth, I am enjoying every bit of this fight," signed off Mukesh.

Bahuguna in amateur lead: Saurav Bahuguna with a score of 74, continued in the amateur lead for the third day in succession at a tally of four-over 220. Oil India's Simarjeet Singh returned a level-par 72 to edge to within two strokes of the leader at 222. Ajay Jadeja and Anitya Chand were joint third at 227.

SCORES (after 54 holes): 208_Feroz Ali(69,70,69); 210_Mukesh Kumar(72,71,67); 212_Sanjay Kumar(68,73,71); 214_Amit Dube(70,68,76); 215_Amritinder Singh(67,73,75); 217_Ashok Kumar(70,73,74), Praduman Guleria(74,70,73); 218_Zai Kipgen(77,71,70); 219_Rafiq Ali(72,75,72), Shamim Khan(71,77,71), Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia(69,79,71), Sheeraz Kalra(73,76,70), Rohtas Singh(74,76,69).

Amateurs: 220_Saurav Bahuguna(72,74,74); 222_Simarjeet Singh(75,75,72); 227_Ajay Jadeja(75,73,79), Anitya Chand(75,76,76);

Earlier reports:
Day 2: Amit Dube grabs the lead
Day 1: Birthday boy Amritinder leads Singhania Open