Manila: Despite a round of 74, Rahil Gangjee managed to move up one place to be placed tied 16th at the end of the third round of the ICTSI Philippine Open here on Saturday.
Gangjee was now three-over for 54 holes as only three players were under par for the tournament, with another two on even par at a wind-swept Wack Wack Golf and Country Club's East course.
Conditions continued to be difficult to score as the other Indians, Anirban Lahiri (73), Digvijay Singh (76) and Sujjan Singh (80) struggled.
Digvijay dropped from 25 to 36th, but Lahiri moved up from 43rd to 36 at six-over, while Sujjan, 65th overnight, was now 72nd at 14-over.
Meanwhile, Singaporean veteran Mardan Mamat rode a hot putter to hold a slender one-shot lead over a fast-charging Filipino teenager Miguel Tabuena after the third round.
Gangjee started with four pars before his first and only birdie of the day. He then dropped three birdies two in last three holes. Lahiri had two birdies and three bogeys.
Mardan, chasing a third Asian Tour victory, holed several huge par saves en route to a battling two-under-par 70 to lead on seven-under-par 209 in Asia's oldest national Open. His overnight three-shot lead was reduced by Tabuena's brilliant course record-equaling 67, while Korea's Mo Joong-kyung fired a 68 to trail by two on 211 with only the top-three players breaking par after 54 holes.
Earlier, Hwang Inn-choon of Korea established a new course record 67 following the East course's renovation last year to move to tied fourth place on level par for the USD 300,000 Asian Tour tournament alongside American Ben Fox, who returned a 74.
The 44-year-old Mardan, winless since 2006, didn't swing it as smoothly as Friday's second round but his putter came through as he carded four birdies against two bogeys to set up an intriguing battle of the ages with local favourite and 17-year-old Tabuena.
Mardan produced huge par saves on eight, nine and 12 to that kept his round going.
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