bengaluru: Newcomer Miguel Carballo of Argentina put himself in prime position for a maiden Asian Tour title after carding a flawless four-under-par 67 to seize a one-shot lead following the penultimate round of the Take Solutions Masters yesterday.
The 39-year-old Carballo, who came through the Qualifying School in January, fired a pair of birdies on each nine to take his place atop the leaderboard with a three-day total of 14-under 199 at the Karnataka Golf Association (KGA) Golf Course.
Home favourite Khalin Joshi, who turned 26 yesterday, returned with the day's best score of a 64 to share second place with overnight leader Danthai Boonma of Thailand, who battled to a 73 in the US$350,000 Asian Tour event.
"I played well again today. I am very happy," said Carballo. "It was pretty difficult out there with the winds, especially playing in the last group. So it was nice to card a good score.
"I entered the round five shots back but I wasn't thinking much. I was just focused on playing my own game. I gave myself opportunities for birdies on the front nine. Danthai made an easy birdie on the first but I told myself to just play my own game.
"The most important will be concentration. My game is solid right now so we'll see what happens," he added.
Young Thai talent Danthai, who fired a sensational bogey-free round of 61 on Friday, stayed just one shot of the lead despite a disappointing 73.
The 22-year-old started off well with a birdie at the first hole but his title push quickly faded with bogeys on 5 and 7 and a double bogey on 8. A late birdie on the par-five 18th kept him in a share of second place with Joshi.
"It was nice to start with a birdie and end with a birdie," said Danthai.
"It wasn't really that bad for me today. I hit it into the water and made double-bogey on the eighth hole. I thought there weren't any wind but when I hit the ball, it caught a flyer and went into the water.
"The conditions were similar to yesterday as well. I guess I just didn't putt as well as I did yesterday [Friday]. I wasn't nervous actually. I felt pretty comfortable out there. I just had a bad stretch on the front nine.
"I will stick to the same plan tomorrow and work on my putting. Hopefully I can regain that hot putter tomorrow. I will keep smiling tomorrow too," he added.
Joshi said, "There's a lot of golf still left, 18 holes to go. But I have put myself in a good position. That's all I was expecting this week -- to just give myself a fair chance going into Sunday and I think I have done that.
"So, I'm looking forward to tomorrow and let's hope that I come out victorious."
Joshi was runner-up last year after finishing two shots back of Poom Saksansin of Thailand.
Local hopefuls Viraj Madappa and S Chikkarangappa lurked two shots off the pace in joint-fourth following rounds of 66 and 68 at the Take Solutions Masters, which is celebrating its second straight edition on the Asian Tour this week.
India's Honey Baisoya produced the shot of the day when he made his career's first hole-in-one on the par-three eighth hole with a pitching wedge from 135 yards. He is amongst those bunched in sixth place on 202 after a second consecutive 66.
