San Diego, Feb 1 (IANS) Sahith Theegala stumbled on the moving day at the Farmers Insurance Open, carding a 1-over 73 to slip from tied-sixth to tied-20th after the third round at Torrey Pines.

The Indian-American, who opened with rounds of 66 and 69, is now 8-under with one round remaining. Playing the demanding South Course, Theegala mixed three birdies with four bogeys and was unable to keep pace as the leaders pulled away.

At the top, Justin Rose remained firmly in control and stretched his advantage to six shots over the field. Rose followed up his opening rounds of 62 and 65 with a steady 4-under 68 to move to 21-under 195, setting a new 54-hole tournament record. His total bettered the previous mark he set when winning in 2019 and matched historic efforts by Kyle Stanley (2012), Tiger Woods (2008) and Woody Blackburn (1985). Stanley was the only one of that group who failed to convert the lead into victory.

Rose, who began the day four shots clear, extended his cushion to as many as eight at one stage.

Joel Dahmen moved into second place at 15-under after a 4-under 68 in the third round. The American, who finished outside the top 100 in the FedExCup in the year the PGA TOUR reduced full cards from 125, is playing this week on conditional status and gained entry only because the two-course setup allowed for a larger field. The Farmers Insurance Open represents a crucial opportunity for Dahmen to secure valuable points and momentum early in the season.

Among the other players of Indian origin in the field, Akshay Bhatia missed the cut after rounds of 76 and 69, while Indo-Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju signed for a 71 following rounds of 74 and 67 to sit tied-45th.

Brooks Koepka, making his return to the PGA TOUR, endured a frustrating day on the greens. Despite striking the ball well for long stretches, Koepka struggled from close range, turning a three-foot par putt into a double bogey on the par-3 11th and missing a three-foot birdie putt on the par-5 ninth, his final hole. He missed six putts from inside five feet and signed for a 73.

--IANS

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