Khalin Joshi carded a three-under 69 on Thursday, 24 September 2026, to retain the lead at the ₹1 crore Bengaluru Open 2026, maintaining a three-shot advantage heading into the final round at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) course in Bengaluru. The 34-year-old local golfer sits at 18-under 198 after three rounds of 61-68-69.

Round 3 Leaderboard Snapshot

A surging Manu Gandas of Gurugram posted the day's best score — a bogey-free eight-under 64 — to climb from tied third to second place at 15-under 201, trimming Joshi's overnight six-shot buffer down to three. Saptak Talwar of Greater Noida, the current Race to India Championship leader, moved into sole third at 11-under 205 with a four-under 68. Veer Ahlawat of Gurugram and local teenager Manoj S share fourth at 10-under 206.

Joshi's Hard-Fought Round

Joshi found Round 3 considerably more demanding as winds picked up, the greens quickened and pin positions grew more testing. His highlight came on the par-five fifth, where a deft lob wedge from 94 yards — played as a 102-yard shot into the wind — landed past the flag, spun back and dropped for an eagle. 'The ball landed past the pin, spun back and went in,' Joshi said.

The leader dropped shots on the third hole with a three-putt and again on the 15th after his drive settled in a plugged bunker lie. He limited the damage before rallying with birdies on his final two holes. 'I didn't strike the ball particularly well, but I held the round together and avoided playing myself out of the tournament. I'm still in a comfortable position and looking forward to tomorrow,' Joshi said.

Gandas Closes the Gap

Gandas, currently ranked 20th in the Race to India Championship and the 2023 Rankings champion, converted approach after approach on the KGA greens, making eight birdies including three in succession from the 10th through the 12th. Longer conversions on the second and 12th holes were particularly pivotal. 'The difference today was that I converted more of them. It was a well-balanced round, and going bogey-free for the second consecutive day was particularly satisfying,' Gandas said.

Gandas also drew confidence from a rich junior history at KGA. 'I have some wonderful memories here, including a couple of victories as a junior. The course is in excellent condition, and I'm pleased to be in contention heading into the final round,' he added.

Hole-in-One Highlight and Course Conditions

Local golfer Chikkarangappa produced the crowd moment of the day, recording a hole-in-one on the 13th during his round of 73. He sits tied 33rd at one-over 217. The KGA greens are running at 11 on the Stimpmeter, kept firm and smooth by the greenkeeping team despite pre-tournament rain that softened the fairways.

What Is at Stake in Round 4

The Bengaluru Open is the final event before the top 60 on the 2026 PGTI Order of Merit are confirmed. Players finishing inside the top 60 at the conclusion of this tournament will secure their playing rights for the 2026-27 season, adding a sharp competitive edge to the final round beyond the title race itself. With Gandas in red-hot form and Talwar well within reach, Joshi will need a composed closing round to claim the title.