Srinagar: Khalin Joshi tightened his grip on the J&K Open 2026 after another composed round at the Royal Springs Golf Course on Saturday. The Bengaluru golfer carded a six-under 65 to move to 19-under 194, taking a commanding six-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the INR 1 crore event.
Joshi, 33, has been the standout performer throughout the week. After opening with rounds of 63 and 66, he followed them up with another bogey-free effort. He has now completed 37 consecutive holes without dropping a shot. His only bogey of the tournament came at the 17th during the opening round.
Delhi’s Rashid Khan returned the day’s best score of seven-under 64 to climb into second place at 13-under 200. The former Asian Tour winner now faces a difficult task on the final day, trailing Joshi by six shots.
Patient start, strong finish
Joshi admitted the front nine was not as smooth as the previous two days. He struggled to find the same rhythm off the tee but managed to avoid mistakes. Once he settled down, he took control on the back nine and finished with another impressive round.
“I didn’t hit the ball as well on the front nine, but I stayed patient,” Joshi said. “The birdies kept me going and I played much better on the back nine. I hit some quality shots, made a few putts and I’m pleased with the way things are going.”
Sticking to the same plan
Despite enjoying a healthy lead, Joshi said he has no plans to change his approach for the final round. He believes finding fairways will remain the key to creating birdie opportunities at Royal Springs.
“My focus won’t change,” he said. “If I keep finding fairways, the birdie chances will come. There’s only one round left, so I’ll stay in the present and stick to the game plan that has worked well so far.”
Enjoying Srinagar’s unique setting
Away from the competition, Khalin Joshi has been soaking in the beauty of the venue. He recalled spotting a bear crossing the third fairway during the Pro-Am and joked that it may have brought him some luck.
The fruit trees around the course have also added to the experience.
“I’ve enjoyed the mulberries and picked what looked like cherries or apricots near the third hole,” he said. “I’ve also had a few apples during the week. It’s little things like these that make playing in Srinagar so memorable.”
Sandhu climbs, Brijesh makes headlines
Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu moved into third place after a five-under 65 lifted him to 11-under 202. Panipat’s Shubham Jaglan and Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema shared fourth place at nine-under 204.
DP World PGTI Rankings leader Saptak Talwar, back after competing on the HotelPlanner Tour, shared sixth place at eight-under 205 with Kshitij Naveed Kaul.
Panchkula’s Brijesh Kumar produced one of the moments of the tournament by recording the first hole-in-one of the week. He aced the 11th hole on his way to a third-round 67 and climbed into a tie for 20th at three-under 210.
The 11th, usually a par four, has been playing as a par three after heavy rain caused waterlogging before the tournament began.
