Srinagar, August 6: Khaleen Joshi finished the third round of the JK Open 2026 at the Springs Golf Course with an impressive score of six under 65, securing a comfortable six-shot lead.
The 33-year-old golfer from Bengaluru started the day with a seven-shot advantage. After rounds of 63 and 66, he stands at 19 under 194. Rashid Khan from Delhi, a former Asian Tour winner, achieved the day’s best score of seven under 64, placing him alone in second at 13 under 200, six shots behind Joshi.
Joshi’s second consecutive bogey-free round featured six birdies, extending his run to 37 holes without dropping a shot. The former Asian Tour champion has recorded just one bogey throughout the week, which occurred on the par-four 17th hole during the opening round.
Although his ball striking wasn’t as sharp at the start of the round, Joshi found his rhythm on the back nine.
“I didn’t hit the ball as well on the front nine as I did in the first two days, but it was crucial to make two birdies after missing the fairway. I gained some momentum on the back nine, hit some good shots, and made some solid putts. I feel confident and positive about my game,” Joshi remarked.
With rounds of 63, 66, and 65, Joshi emphasized the importance of hitting fairways, stating, “Finding fairways is essential here as it creates many birdie opportunities. My goal now is to hit as many fairways as possible. If I can do that, I believe the scores will follow. There’s just one round left, so I need to stay present and continue doing what I’ve done over the past three days.”
Ajitesh Sandhu from Chandigarh, another former Asian Tour winner, moved into third place with a score of 65 in the third round, totaling 11 under 202. Shubham Jaglan, a 21-year-old from Panipat, and Angad Cheema from Chandigarh both finished fourth at nine under 204.
PGTI ranking leader Saptak Talwar, who participated in the Hotel Planner Tour throughout the summer, tied for sixth with Khitij Naveed Kaul at eight under 205. Brijesh Kumar from Panchkula recorded the tournament’s first hole-in-one on the par-3 11th hole. He finished in 20th place with a score of three under 210. Due to heavy rainfall before the tournament, the par-four 11th hole was played as a par-three.
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PAK
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