Angad Cheema fired a seven-under 65 on Thursday to maintain a two-shot lead heading into the final round of the ₹1 crore Telangana Open 2026 at Vooty Golf County, Vikarabad. The Chandigarh golfer, chasing his fifth PGTI Tour title and sixth professional win overall, sits at 20-under 196 after three rounds.

Round 3 Scorecard Highlights

Cheema's third round was a study in resilience. His card featured an eagle on the par-five 16th, eight birdies, and three bogeys — including two three-putts on the back nine that kept the round from being cleaner. On the 16th, he struck a six-iron to within five feet and converted the eagle putt. "I hit three really good shots to make the eagle," Cheema said. "I drove it well and then hit a six-iron to about five feet. Apparently, the ball came within an inch of going in, and I converted the putt."

Despite the back-nine wobbles, Cheema was measured in his assessment. "It was definitely an up-and-down day, especially on the back nine, but overall I played really well," he said. "Rashid was making a lot of birdies, so it was important for me to keep pace with him, and I thought I did that very well."

Rashid Khan Keeps the Pressure On

Delhi's Rashid Khan matched Cheema's 65, carding eight birdies against a single bogey on the par-four 17th, to stay second at 18-under 198. Playing alongside the leader, Khan applied consistent pressure throughout the round but could not close the gap.

Jairaj Singh Sandhu's Stunning Charge

Jairaj Singh Sandhu produced the round of the day, shooting a nine-under 63 — the lowest third-round score of the tournament — to leap 17 places from tied 20th into third at 14-under 202, six shots off the lead. Delhi's Honey Baisoya (72-65-66), currently seventh in the PGTI Rankings, and Greater Noida's Arjun Sharma (70-66-67) share fourth at 13-under 203.

First-round co-leader Akshay Sharma of Chandigarh (65-70-69) is tied sixth at 12-under 204 alongside Gurugram's Veer Ahlawat (68-68-68), the 2024 PGTI Rankings champion. Manu Gandas (65-71-69), the other opening-round co-leader, shares eighth at 11-under 205 with Nepal's Subash Tamang, Uganda's Joshua Seale, and Gurugram's Dhruv Sheoran.

Cheema's Season Context and the Race to DP World India Championship

Cheema, a four-time winner on the PGTI Tour, has twice come agonisingly close to a fifth title this season — finishing tied second at the Boulders Classic in April and again at last week's Kolar Open. A win on Friday would end that near-miss run.

He also welcomed the newly introduced Race to DP World India Championship, which grants the top-24 players on the PGTI Order of Merit a place at the season-ending marquee event. "It is a great initiative and a big incentive for all the players," Cheema said. "The chance to compete in the DP World India Championship alongside some of the biggest names in golf would be a huge achievement." Current PGTI Rankings leader Saptak Talwar (72-68-71), who spent the summer on the HotelPlanner Tour, sits tied 29th at five-under 211.

Final Round Outlook

Cheema enters the final round with a clear two-shot cushion but is wary of complacency. "I'll treat tomorrow as just another round of golf," he said. "I'm playing well, so I want to continue doing what I've been doing, focus on my own game and not get too far ahead of myself." With Rashid Khan in close pursuit and Sandhu's momentum from a nine-under 63, the final round at Vooty Golf County promises a tense finish.