Anirban Lahiri bounces back at Quicken Loans National

Six birdies, three of them from over 16 feet, against a bogey, saw Lahiri card 65 and rise to 4-under 206 and give him a chance to register another good finish this week.

Lahiri was T-9 last week at Travelers.

Anirban Lahiri bounced back from a disappointing second round with a strong 5-under that took him to Tied-25 from after the third round of the Quicken Loans National.

Six birdies, three of them from over 16 feet, against a bogey, saw Lahiri card 65 and rise to 4-under 206 and give him a chance to register another good finish this week. Lahiri was T-9 last week at Travelers.

Lahiri, who seemed to be having trouble on the greens has been much better last two weeks, though the second nine of the second round this week was an aberration with two doubles. Lahiri would be ruing the two double, but for which he may have been in strong contention on the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.

Francesco Molinari (65) and Abraham Ancer (62) were in the shared lead at 13-under, while Tiger Woods ran off four straight birdies and finished the front nine with seven consecutive one-putt greens. But, after a 3-under front nine, he was one-over for the back nine.

READ: Quicken Loans National: Lahiri makes the cut

Woods was six shots behind, the seventh straight tournament he has been at least five shots behind going into the final round. But, he was much closer than that at one stage. With his fifth birdie of the front nine, Woods was a shot out of the lead.

And then, he opened the back nine with a pair of birdie chances just inside 10 feet and missed them both. He never really regained his momentum, finished with another bogey and shot 68.

Woods said, “I thought that 10 under (total) would have been a good score for me to end up at for the day, and I could have easily gotten that today on the back nine.”

The nine players ahead of Woods have combined for just five official PGA TOUR victories. Ancer birdied two of his last three holes for the lowest score of his career, an 8-under 62, giving the 27-year-old Mexican his best shot at a first PGA Tour victory.

Molinari also is going for his first official PGA Tour victory, though he won a World Golf Championship in Shanghai in 2010, which then was not recognized by the PGA Tour. They were 13-under 197, two clear of Ryan Armour (68) and Zac Blair (66).

In Pattaya

Gaganjeet Bhullar could not match Jazz Janewattananond’s sensational play on the final day as the Thai golfer came up with a streak of five birdies to win the Queens Cup presented by Bangchak here today.

Bhullar and Jazz began tied for first at 15-under and both turned in 1-over. Both birdied the 10th, and then the situation changed as Jazz birdied the next four, while Bhullar just could not find the same touch. He also bogeyed the 15th.

The Indian saved two good pars before a closing birdie and a card of 71 which gave him sole second as Jazz parred last-four to finish at 19-under and four clear of Bhullar.

American Sihwan Kim (70) and Pavit Tangkamolprasert (71) of Thailand shared third place at the 270 Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club.

The 30-year-old Bhullar, whose last win was in Macao last year, missed his ninth Asian Tour win. He came close at the Maekyung Open in Korea in May but settled for a share of second place after he was defeated in the play-off and this was his second runner-up finish this season.

"It wasn’t easy out there. It was definitely one of the toughest days this week. I didn’t get off to a good start. I made a few silly mistakes as well. But, I finished strong, had two good par-saves on 16 and 17 and a good up, and down for birdie on the last to finish sole second,” said Bhullar.

"It’s still a good result for me. I am happy to be able to earn some world ranking points this week. It could have been better, but Jazz played really well today. His five birdies in-a-row pretty much changed the whole scenario."

Khalin Joshi (68) was T-14 at 10-under, while S. Chikkarangappa (68) and Rashid Khan (72) were T-21 at 8-under. Honey Baisoya carded 66 and at 7-under finished T-30, Viraj Madappa (70) at 3-under was T-46th and Himmat Rai (72) at 1-over was T-60th.

In Paris

India’s new golfing sensation Shubhankar Sharma rolled in four birdies in a span of six holes in the middle of the fourth and final round at the HNA Open de France, here, today.

Shubhankar, who opened the week with 76 and then repaired with 69-71 on next two days, finished with a round of three-under 68 to complete the week in even par 284.

Shubhankar, whose last two events outside of PGA Tour and WGC produced tied 14th in Volvo China and tied seventh at Hero Indian Open, was also hit by two double bogeys, one each on first and second days.

He was tied 27th when he finished, but with a lot of players yet to finish, his final position is likely to be inside top 25. The 21-year-old Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult maintained his two-shot advantage heading into the final round.

Both Kinhult and his playing partner, Ryder Cup player Chris Wood, signed for four-under-par rounds of 67. Kinhult was 10-under through three rounds and Wood was eight-under.

The pair will have three of the world’s top players — Sergio Garcia, Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm chasing them, later, today.