“My plan is to concentrate on keeping the errors as less as possible. I don’t know how the three of us (him, Vijay Kumar and SSP Chowrasia, leading to the play-off) managed to aggregate 18-under last year, it was a hell of a score,” he said today.

The 35-year-old is not just chasing the defence of his crown at the $500,000 Asian Tour event, but also a rare record. Randhawa will become only the second man to win the title thrice — the other being first edition winner Australian Peter Thomson — if he is the last man standing on Sunday.

But the challengers are many, least not fellow European Tour regular Jeev Milkha Singh, returning home seeking his first title here. Yesterday Jeev had said he would put his money on Randhawa, the Gurgaon player laughingly returned the favour today, but the fight for the title won’t be as much in jest. The third Indian star and Delhi Golf Club local boy Gaurav Ghei does bring out his best on his home course, and he remains the perennial darkhorse.

Randhawa, however, is not the only one looking to regain the crown. With the last four champions before Randhawa — Vijay Kumar, Mike Cunning, Mardan Mamat and Thaworn Wiratchant — in the fray as well, the final day’s leadergroup names are a secret that the Delhi Golf Club bush cover holds.

American Cunning and Singaporean Mamat might not be the players they were when they won in 2003 and 2004 respectively, but they’ve both conquered the tough course and can’t be counted out.

Language problems might blight Thai whizkid Chapchai Nirat and Chinese Taipei’s Lu Wen-teh’s excursions, but what will not be lost in translation will be the form of the two top-placed players on the Tour order of merit. Lu is the only multiple title winner on the Asian Tour this season, and both Nirat and Lu have straight-hitting accurate shots that will keep them in good stead here at the DGC.

And of course, there is the Aussie legend Peter Senior, 48 and still strong on the European Tour, who is here on an invite. His promised appearance with the media never materialised today, but the veteran would certainly want to take the winning Australian legacy at the event, started by his namesake long back in 1964, forward.