Sajib in the lead

S M Jiffrey ABDEEN, Kandy Sports Corr

Bangladesh National Champion Mohamed Sajib Ali scored an excellent 74 to continue his lead at the 124th Sri Lanka National Golf Championship 2011, organized by the Sri Lanka Golf Union and sponsored by Audi and eWis and supported by Victoria Golf and Country Resort and played at Victoria Golf course at Rajawella off Kandy.

Sajib Ali who made 73 and 70 in the earlier rounds had a one over one par in making 74 and now has an aggregate of 217 which is the best.

Just one shot behind as joint second are N Thangaraja of Sri Lanka and top ranked Indian S Chikkaranppa with aggregates of 218 each.

Sri Lanka's hopes will lie with Thangaraja of Royal Colombo Golf Club who made 73 and 73 on the first two rounds and followed up with 72 with a one under par.

Indian golfer S Chikkaranppa made 79 and 72 in the first two rounds but came up with a brilliant 67 with six under par to move up from the sixth to the second position.

Both N Thangaraja and S Chikkaranppa are in line for championship honours when the final round resumes today.

N Ranga of Sri Lanka who made 73 yesterday with a level par with scores 69 and 77 is lying fourth with 219.

In fifth place is Sri Lanka and Victoria's Golf and Country Resort's Vijitha Bandara with 224.

He scored 78 and 75 in the first two rounds and followed up with 71 two under par yesterday.