Malaysia’s top-ranked amateur Khavish Varman Varadan climbed up the leaderboard into joint 22nd spot in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship after carding a third round of two-under-par 69 at Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club.
The 21-year-old mixed six birdies against four bogeys for a 54-hole total of three-under-par 210, eight shots behind leader Keita Nakajima of Japan. A junior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Khavish is the only Malaysian left in the field as team-mates Marcus Lim, Rizq Adam Rohizam and Nateeshvar Anatha Ganesh failed to make it past the 36-hole cut.
Khavish will need a strong final round to match or better the best Malaysian finish in the championship, which is seventh place recorded by Mohd Iszaimi Ismail in the inaugural 2009 event at Mission Hills Golf Club in China and matched by Ervin Chang at Singapore’s Sentosa Golf Club in 2018.
Nakajima, the world’s top amateur, shot a 67 with a crucial par save on the final hole after driving into the penalty area. He tops the standings on 11-under-par 202, one shot clear of defending champion Yuxin Lin of China. Halfway leader Bo Jin of China signed in a round of 70, falling back into joint third place on nine-under-par with Korea’s Sam Choi.
“I am really proud of the par save on the 18th and a big birdie on the 16th [he made a 15-foot putt]. The last three holes are very challenging on this course, so to finish them in one under was good,” said the 21- year-old Nakajima, who is hoping to become the third Japanese winner of the AAC after 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama (2010, 2011) and his good friend Takumi Kanaya (2018).
The round of the day belonged to Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, who recorded seven birdies in a blemish-free scorecard to move up to sole fifth spot on eight-under-par.
Created by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament and The R&A, the AAC was established to help develop amateur golf in the region. The champion receives an invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament and The Open, while the runner(s)-up gain a place in Final Qualifying for The Open.
For more information, log on to aacgolf.com
