Singapore: Anirban Lahiri carded a battling four-under 68 to give himself an outside chance for a second title in as many weeks at The Championship at Laguna National here on Saturday.
Lahiri, seven-under after the second round, moved to 11-under for 54 holes to be 11th but the best Indian with one more round to go was still Rahil Gangjee (71) at 12-under in tied seventh place.
Gangjee at 12-under was four shots behind co-leaders Dane Anders Hansen (67) and Thai Panuphol Pittyarat (69) who kept at least a share of the lead for the third day in a row.
Lahiri was five behind the leaders, while SSP Chowrasia (71) was lying 20th at nine-under, done in by two late bogeys on 16th and 17th.
Gangjee, who has not won on Asian Tour since his rookie year in 2004, suffered an early double bogey but stayed in the hunt four birdies and one bogey.
Lahiri, winner last week in the Indonesian Masters, had a bogey on second, but three birdies on third, eighth and ninth saw him turn in two-under. On the back nine he had three more birdies against one bogey.
Chowrasia had four birdies against three bogeys. Chiragh Kumar (72) and Jeev Milkha Singh (74) are lying tied 55th and 66th after three rounds.
Pittayarat survived a late bogey scare but continued to take the third round lead with Hansen.
Hansen denied Panuphol the outright lead by signing for a 67 to share pole position with the 21-year-old Thai after compiling a three-day total of 16-under-par 200 at the $1.5 million event sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.
Korean-American David Lipsky remained in contention for his second win on the Asian Tour after carding a 70 to share third place with Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands on 202 at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club.
Panuphol, nicknamed 'Coconut' enjoyed yet another fruitful day as he continued his charge towards his maiden win on the region's premier Tour.
"I've been in contention a couple of times where I got to play with some great players. I will try not to think about how they are doing and just do my best. It's going to be a good Sunday," said Panuphol.
Playing in the weekend rounds for the first time on the Asian Tour this season, Panuphol could only find one birdie on four in his outward nine. But the Thai began to show his title credentials by firing birdies on holes 13, 15 and 16. A bogey-four on 17 however blemished his otherwise flawless card.
Meanwhile, a late flurry of birdies in his closing four holes saw Hansen making his move to share the lead with Panuphol. The Dane, who started the day two back of Panuphol in tied-fifth, got off to an encouraging start with an opening birdie on the par-four first.
Another birdie on eight saw him turn in 34 but it was his hat-trick of birdies starting from 15 that eventually surged him to the top.
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