Khalin Joshi carded a six-under 65 on Thursday to maintain a commanding six-shot lead after the third round of the ₹1 crore J&K Open 2026 at the Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar. The Bengaluru-based golfer sits at 19-under 194, firmly in control heading into the final day of the PGTI Tour event.

Joshi's Third-Round Scorecard

The 33-year-old former Asian Tour winner delivered his second successive bogey-free round, collecting six birdies to extend his streak without a dropped shot to 37 holes. Across the week, Joshi has returned rounds of 63, 66, and 65, conceding just one bogey — on the par-four 17th during the opening round.

While his ball-striking was inconsistent on the front nine, Joshi recovered momentum on the back nine. 'I didn't hit the ball as well on the front nine as I had over the first two days, but making two birdies after missing the fairways was important,' he said. 'I found some momentum on the back nine, hit a few good shots and converted some good putts. Overall, I'm feeling confident and positive about my game.'

Rashid Khan Fires Best Score of the Day

Delhi's Rashid Khan, also a former Asian Tour winner, posted the day's best score — a seven-under 64 — to move into sole second place at 13-under 200, six shots adrift of Joshi. Khan's rounds of 68-68-64 have kept him mathematically in contention, though the deficit remains substantial.

Chandigarh's Ajeetesh Sandhu, another former Asian Tour winner, climbed to third at 11-under 202 after a third-round 65. Panipat's 21-year-old Shubham Jaglan (70-68-66) and Chandigarh's Angad Cheema (68-68-68) are tied fourth at nine-under 204.

Leaderboard Further Down

PGTI Ranking leader Saptak Talwar (69-71-65), who spent the summer competing on the HotelPlanner Tour, shares tied sixth with Kshitij Naveed Kaul (70-69-66) at eight-under 205. Panchkula's Brijesh Kumar (69-74-67) recorded the tournament's first hole-in-one on the par-3 11th — a hole shortened from par-four due to waterlogging caused by heavy rain before the event began — and is tied 20th at three-under 210.

Joshi's Focus and the Royal Springs Experience

Despite his dominant position, Joshi insists his approach will not change. 'Hitting fairways is the key here because it creates plenty of birdie opportunities. My goal tomorrow will be to find as many fairways as possible. If I can do that, I believe the score will follow. There is just one round left, so I need to stay in the present and continue doing what I've done over the first three days,' he said.

Joshi has also embraced the unique atmosphere at Royal Springs, recounting a bear crossing the third fairway during the Pro-Am and sampling mulberries, cherries, apricots, and apples from the fruit trees lining the course. 'It's another part of what makes this place so special,' he noted. The final round is scheduled for Friday, 7 August 2026.