Honey Baisoya in the driver’s seat with a seven-shot lead at PGTI Players Championship

Honey Baisoya, looking for his second win of the year, had a blazing start in the third round with three birdies on the first six holes. (Source: File)

Delhi’s Honey Baisoya is in the driver’s seat after the third round of the PGTI Players Championship as he has moved ahead by a substantial seven shots, courtesy a fiery six-under-66 in Noida on Thursday.

Baisoya, who totalled 15-under-201 for three days, is now well-placed for a successful title defence at the Rs. 30 lakh event. Bengaluru’s C Muniyappa (68) and Noida’s Vikrant Chopra (69) were a distant tied second at eight-under-208.

Currently placed sixth on the PGTI Order of Merit, Baisoya (66-69-66), the runner-up last week in Jaipur and the overnight leader by one shot, will now be the firm favourite for the title.

Baisoya, looking for his second win of the year, had a blazing start in the third round with three birdies on the first six holes, which gave him a handy lead early in the day.

The 21-year-old then bogeyed the seventh but that was negated by three more birdies on the ninth, 10th and 13th as he sank almost everything that came his way. He bogeyed the 15th against the run of play but ended the round on a high with birdies on the 17th and 18th, making a 15-feet conversion on the latter.

Baisoya, who fired a record 19 eagles on the PGTI last season, said, “I am quite happy with my current position. I have the self belief since I won at this venue earlier this year. My best birdies today came on the sixth and 18th.

Muniyappa’s (69-71-68) third round 68 propelled him from overnight tied ninth to tied second place. He used his wedges to great effect, setting up a tap-in birdie on the 14th and thereafter recovering from the bunker on the 18th to land it within six feet for par.

Local lad Chopra (69-70-69) emerged as a contender for the second week running after a timely 69 that moved him up three places from overnight tied fifth. He set up four feet birdie putts on three occasions thanks to some brilliant chipping.

Delhi’s Sachin Baisoya occupied fourth place at seven-under-209. Gaurav Pratap Singh of Noida shared fifth place at six-under-210 along with Bengaluru’s Udayan Mane, Chandigarh’s Abhijit Singh Chadha and Gurgaon’s Shivendra Singh Sisodia.