Kolkata's Yusuf Ali joined Mukesh Kumar in the lead in the Rs One million Hero Honda Open West, at the par-71 Poona Club Golf course, on the penultimate day of the tournament on Friday.
It took Mukesh just one hole and Yusuf Ali 18 to bring back the excitement and competition in the game today.
Mhow-based Mukesh made an uncharacteristic double bogey on the par-5 18th hole while Yusuf blew away the Poona Club golf course record with a stunning round of seven-under 64. Both lead the event at seven-under 206.
Pune's leading amateur Jaideep Patwardhan shot a four-under 67 to be just one stroke behind the leaders.
Kolkata's Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia and Amandeep Johl of Chandigarh submitted cards of one under 71 to be within striking distance of the leaders at five-under 208. Delhi's Pappan was sixth at 209 while his brother Shamim Khan shot a brilliant five-under 66 to rise to the tied seventh place along with Rafiq Ali at one-under 212.
Yusuf made a bogey on the second hole after failing to reach the green on the long par-3 hole. He made successive birdies on the third and fourth holes. After missing a five-feet birdie on the fifth, the diminutive Kolkata pro made birdies on the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth holes and then missed a three-feet putt for saving yet another stroke on the tenth hole. On the back nine, Yusuf made two more birdies - on the 12th and 14th holes.
Mukesh was unlucky to make a bogey on the ninth when his perfect looking chip to the green hit a depression and stopped midway. Quite a few good putts of his stopped agonisingly short of the cup.
The complexion of the match changed completely on the final hole.
In an effort to get a birdie on the par-5 hole, Mukesh put extra effort into his tee shot and pulled his ball way left into the trees. His second shot went straight into the right trees. He laid up with the third and his pitching wedge fourth shot from 125 yards flew over the green. All he could do was to make a double bogey and finish the day at one-over 72.
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