Khalin Joshi maintained a one-shot lead after the third round of the inaugural Rs 1 crore SECL presents Nava Raipur Open 2026 at the Fairway Golf & Lake Resort in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The 34-year-old Bengaluru golfer carded a one-under 33, taking his total to 10-under par 92 following rounds of 29, 30 and 33.
Beginning the day with a two-stroke advantage, Joshi recorded two birdies and his first bogey of the tournament. Joshi, who has won twice on the DP World PGTI this season and currently ranks 12th in the Race to DP World India Championship, has dropped only one shot in the opening 27 holes.
Due to heavy rain rendering the course unsuitable for full 18-hole rounds, the Tournament Committee held each round over the back nine holes.
Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema emerged as Joshi’s closest rival after posting a bogey-free four-under 30, moving from tied 13th to second place at nine-under 93. Seven players were tied for third at eight-under 94, leaving eight golfers within two shots of the lead heading into the final round.
Delhi’s 18-year-old Pritish Singh Karayat made the largest progress of the day with a bogey-free five-under 29, advancing from tied 36th into the seven-way tie for third. He was joined by Ahmedabad’s Anshul Patel, Bangladesh’s Badal Hossain, Faridabad’s Karan Pratap Singh, Gurugram’s Veer Ahlawat, Chandigarh’s Umed Kumar and Panchkula’s Raunil Kukar. Kukar slipped from a share of second place after a one-under 33.
Joshi acknowledged he was not at his best but was pleased to keep the lead amid challenging conditions. “I didn’t have my best game today,” he said. “I wasn’t driving the ball particularly well, didn’t hit my approaches close enough and wasn’t able to hole many putts. I made a lot of two-putts, but at least I didn’t play myself out of the tournament. I’m still very much in contention, and hopefully I can produce my best golf tomorrow.”
Play was briefly suspended due to rain and lightning, with Joshi recovering strongly after his only bogey of the week on the 11th hole. “The rain and lightning caused a delay of around 15 to 20 minutes,” he said. “I made a bogey on the 11th after a poor tee shot, but the interruption seemed to restart my round. I responded with birdies on the 12th and 13th, which were the highlights of the day.”
Joshi anticipates a competitive final round against Cheema, whom he described as a friend and former teammate. “Angad and I know each other well and have been teammates in a couple of events,” he said. “We have also played a lot of golf together, so there will be good camaraderie between us. It should be an exciting battle, and I’m looking forward to both of us giving it our best in the final round,” he added.