Dubai's Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind) tees off in the rain during the third round in Thailand on the Asian Tour. - Supplied photo

Gaganjeet Bhullar regained his form today, securing the third-round lead at the Black Mountain Championship after a challenging season. Bhullar, a holder of the Dubai Golden Visa, delivered an impressive performance, shooting a bogey-free six-under-par 66 for a tournament total of 19 under par. His remarkable round puts him two strokes ahead of American John Catlin, the standout player of the year so far. Catlin shot a 65 at Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand, where the conditions were far from ideal with overcast skies and persistent rain.

Bhullar's compatriot, Michael Maguire, carded a 68 and is one shot behind Catlin. Meanwhile, Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chieh-po fired the lowest round of the day, a 64, to sit in fourth place, one stroke behind David Boriboonsub from Thailand, who returned a 67. Bhullar, the 36-year-old from Amritsar, India, has won 11 times on the Asian Tour, the most by an Indian golfer. However, this year has been tough for him due to a hip injury, with his best finish being a joint 33rd at the International Series Morocco. After missing the last three cuts, he is currently ranked 123rd on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

However, it seems the tide is turning this week, and a 12th win is within reach. “It was a good round of golf, to be honest,” said the Indian star, who made six birdies and started the day by sharing the lead with Suteepat Prateeptienchai from Thailand. “The best part was that it was a bogey-free round. I hit about 17 greens in regulation, which gave me a good opportunity to make lots of birdies. I putted quite well today, as good as yesterday, and drove the ball well, just missing two fairways. But overall, it was a solid round,” he added.

Bhullar holds the course record here, a round of nine-under back in 2009, and has only dropped two shots all week. Despite the poor weather today, which fortunately was just rain and no lightning, he has continued to dominate the course. “Normally, it’s a thunderstorm and we don’t play, but it was quite challenging,” Bhullar told Khaleej Times. “In the last few holes, I had to change my strategy off the tee because I was just not comfortable hitting driver on all the holes. On number 16, I had to hit a three wood, and on the 17th, I had to hit a four iron. I will have only one thought for tomorrow – one shot at a time.”

Catlin is aiming to complete a hat trick this week, after a phenomenal season that has seen him win twice: International Series Macau presented by Wynn and Saudi Open presented by PIF, back-to-back. He also nearly claimed the International Series Morocco but was stopped by New Zealand’s Campbell in a sudden-death playoff. Catlin was also second in the Yeangder TPC, joint third in the Malaysian Open, and equal fourth in the SJM Macao Open. He is the runaway leader in both the Asian Tour Order of Merit and The International Series Rankings.

The American is clearly enjoying playing in Hua Hin – his home away from home, as he chose to base himself here when playing on the Asian Tour. “It’s great being here; anytime I can play a tournament in Hua Hin, it’s awesome. This has been kind of a second home, and I’ve basically had a place here for eight years. I’ve played this golf course more times than I can count, so all of that is definitely helping me play well,” he said. Catlin only dropped one shot today and carded eight birdies.

Maguire, a graduate from last year’s Qualifying School, has the opportunity tomorrow to improve on his best performance on the Asian Tour, which is tied for fourth in last year’s International Series Vietnam. Suteepat shot a 71 and is five behind Bhullar, along with Italian Stefano Mazzoli, who carded a 70.

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