New Delhi: Manu Gandas surged into joint lead with a brilliant six under 64 in the third round of the INR 1.5 crore Professional Golf Tour of India Players Championship 2026 at the Tollygunge Club in Kolkata. His impressive round lifted him to a total of 11 under 199, where he is tied with Shaurya Bhattacharya heading into the final day.
Gandas, a former PGTI Order of Merit champion, began the day nine shots off the lead but produced a flawless display marked by an eagle, five birdies and just one bogey. After a steady start, he ignited his charge with a birdie on the eighth, followed by another on the ninth. A 17 foot eagle conversion on the 10th accelerated his climb up the leaderboard.
Despite a bogey on the 12th, Gandas quickly regained momentum. He chipped in for birdie on the 14th and added another long conversion on the 15th to cap a commanding back nine performance. His confident ball striking and precise approach play created multiple scoring chances throughout the round.
Bhattacharya, who had led comfortably after the first two rounds, carded a three over 73 on Thursday. Two birdies were offset by five bogeys as inconsistency with club selection and missed chip putts proved costly. The setback saw him slip into a share of the lead rather than holding it outright.
Close behind at 10 under 200 are Om Prakash Chouhan and Akshay Sharma, both of whom returned rounds of 64, along with Sanjeev Kumar who shot 67.
Local golfers Mohammad Sanju and Divyanshu Bajaj are tied 36th at one under 209. With several contenders within striking distance, the final round promises a tightly contested finish in Kolkata.
