Ajeetesh Sandhu extends lead to three shots at Chennai Open

Chennai: In a hot and humid day, Ajeetesh Sandhu fired a bogey-free four-under 68 to extend his lead to three shots after the third round of the INR 1 crore Chennai Open 2026 Powered by Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL), at the TNGF Cosmo Golf Course. The 37-year-old Chandigarh golfer (65-66-68), who began the day with a two-stroke advantage, posted an error-free round consisting of four birdies to move to 17-under 199 heading into the final round.

Kolkata’s Viraj Madappa (72-67-63) fired the day’s lowest score, a nine-under 63, to climb nine places from tied 11th to second at 14-under 202. The 28-year-old, a two-time DP World PGTI winner and former Asian Tour champion, recorded an eagle on the par-four sixth, eight birdies and a solitary bogey in his round today.

Overnight second-placed Stepan Danek (65-68-70) of the Czech Republic slipped to third at 13-under 203. The 29-year-old’s two-under 70 featured an eagle on the par-five 18th, three birdies, a bogey and a double bogey.

Chandigarh’s Jairaj Singh Sandhu (66-71-67) climbed from tied seventh into a share of fourth at 12-under 204 alongside Noida’s Amardeep Malik (67-68-69). Ajeetesh, a five-time DP World PGTI winner and former Asian Tour champion, was pleased to negotiate the added pressure of leading without dropping a shot.

“It was a solid round,” Sandhu said. “The feeling is naturally a little different when you begin the day in the lead, so you have to account for that pressure. Overall, I played well. There were a couple of missed opportunities, but that is part of golf.”

Birdies on the ninth and 10th helped Sandhu build momentum after a steady start.

“The birdies on the ninth and 10th were particularly important,” he said. “I began with a run of pars, so making a couple of putts around the turn helped me settle down, regain momentum and manage the rest of the round.”

Sandhu has tried to keep his approach uncomplicated, concentrating on the immediate task rather than the leaderboard.

“I try to keep things as simple as possible and focus on the next shot,” he said. “It is very easy to get ahead of yourself in golf, particularly when you are leading. My aim is to give every shot my full attention.”

Despite holding a three-stroke advantage, Sandhu expects a strong final-round challenge on a course offering several birdie opportunities.

“There are plenty of quality players in contention, and a lot of birdies can be made here,” he said. “I’ll have to remain aggressive and continue making birdies. I’ll follow the same approach that has worked over the first three days.”

Sandhu also believes his Asian Tour experience has helped him manage Chennai’s hot and humid weather.