Kuala Lumpur: Anirban Lahiri roared back into title contention at the CIMB Classic golf tournament with a stunning bogey-free 64, his second best-ever round at the TPC Kuala Lumpur course, here Saturday. The fine performance helped him recover from tied 23rd to sole sixth after three rounds. However, Lahiri’s compatriot, SSP Chawrasia wilted under the heat and scored 74 to drop to tied 60th at one-over 217.
Meanwhile Pat Perez’s eight-under 64 with nine birdies and one bogey on par-4 13th saw him swell his lead from one to four over Xander Schauffele (67), while Korean Sung-hoon Kang (65) stayed third.
On a rather low-scoring day, when 32 players shot in the 60s and 55 were under par in a field of 78, the day’s best card came from Hideki Matsuyama (63), who shared the fourth spot with Keegan Bradley (65).
Lahiri came close to his career-best 62 at the TPC Kuala Lumpur in 2015 when he had won the Maybank Malaysian Open. He got off to a good start with birdies on the second and fourth before adding two more on the seventh and eighth. The Indian kept his foot on the pedal on the back nine also with four more birdies.
“I wasn’t feeling very good this morning when I was warming up on the range, so I just went out there just trying to manage around the golf course. I hit a few good shots to start my round. I think I was pretty solid and then I grew in confidence,” Lahiri stated.
Press trust of India
