Asia-pacific c’ship: Madappa cards even par, makes modest upward move

First-timer at Asia-Pacific Amateur AC Brett Coletta (68) stayed up on top for the second straight day and at 14-under his lead increased from one to two shots as Cameron Davis, last year’s runner-up and reigning World Amateur Individual champion, carded 69.

The 18-year-old Madappa, a Freshman at Texas A&M, who is returning to the AAC for the fourth time in succession, had his best outing in 2013, when he was tied 34.

Viraj Madappa clawed his way back into the round in the closing stretch to card a second successive even par 72, that brought him to tied-23rd alongside Rigel Fernandes (73) at the end of the third round of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships.

First-timer at Asia-Pacific Amateur AC Brett Coletta (68) stayed up on top for the second straight day and at 14-under his lead increased from one to two shots as Cameron Davis, last year’s runner-up and reigning World Amateur Individual champion, carded 69.

Among Indians while Madappa and Fernandes made modest gains in the placings, Rayhan Thomas ran into a rough patch between the eighth and 11th holes, dropping four shots. He ended with a 76 and had just one birdie, a far cry from the seven on first day. He slipped from overnight tied 17th to tied 28th alongside Yuvraj Sandhu (74), who had three birdies, including one on the 18th.

Young Kshitij Naveed Kaul, who is still 15, had a disastrous stretch between third and seventh when he dropped four bogeys in five holes. The two birdies on 14th and 15th was a consolation as he scored 77 and dropped from overnight tied 25 to tied 40th.

The 18-year-old Madappa, a Freshman at Texas A&M, who is returning to the AAC for the fourth time in succession, had his best outing in 2013, when he was tied 34.

This time he could better that. Currently, 25th, he smiled said, “I scored well once again on the last stretch of five holes, but not as well as yesterday when I was five-under for last five holes. But an even par was decent, as there was some wind, too, today.”

Coletta’s 68 included three sets of back-to-back birdies, including the 17th and 18th to move to 14-under. Davis had just one bogey, but could have added a couple more to the four birdies he had.

Behind the top two Aussies was Japan Amateur champion, Junya Kameshiro, who at eight-under was four behind Davis and six behind Coletta.

The top-7 on the leaderboard had three each from Australia and the lone outside was Thailand’s KK Limbhasut (73). Last year, the final round was rained off with Davis stuck in second place as China’s Jin Cheng won the title and a place in the Masters. This time Jin is Tied-16th at two-over and 16 shots behind leader.