Shubhankar Sharma tightened his grip on the Boulders Classic with a brilliant 8-under 64, stretching his lead to seven shots after round three in Hyderabad.
The 29-year-old now sits at 20-under 196 (66-66-64), matching the course record set a day earlier and putting himself in commanding position heading into the final round.
Sharma’s round featured nine birdies against just one bogey, as he pulled away from the field on a day where few could keep pace.
“I played really solid today — probably hit it the best I have all week,” Sharma said. “Everything was clicking, and even when I lost a bit of momentum, I bounced back quickly.”
He added: “You have to get your yardages and wind reads right here, and I felt I did that well.”
Rashid Khan (66), Angad Cheema (66), and first-round leader Vishesh Sharma (68) share second place at 13-under 203, but face a significant gap going into Sunday.
Ajeetesh Sandhu continued his steady run with a third straight 68 to move to 12-under in fifth, while Saptak Talwar’s 66 lifted him to 11-under alongside Honey Baisoya, who followed his course-record 64 with a 69.
Shubhankar, playing his first PGTI event since December 2021, credited his mindset for the consistency.
“I’ve just been in a happy state of mind and that’s showing on the course,” he said. “I haven’t done anything special — just stuck to my process and cut out mistakes.”
Despite the sizeable lead, Sharma remains measured.
“The plan is to stay aggressive and keep doing the same things,” he said. “I’m just having fun out there.”
With a seven-shot cushion, Sharma is firmly in control — but on a course that demands precision, closing it out will be the final test.
Photo – PGTI
