Consistent Kruger in European Tour lead

Jbe Kruger had a pair of eagles Saturday in shooting a 6-under-par 66 and taking the lead after three rounds of the European Tour's Avantha Masters in India. Kruger is at 11-under 205 after 54 holes but 19 players are within four strokes of the lead. Marcel Siem (68 Saturday) and Peter Whiteford (72), who each had two double bogeys, and Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (69), who had four bogeys, are all one stroke back of Kruger for the tournament. Jose Manuel Lara had an 8-under 64 in the third round and is among six players tied for fifth at 9-under. Tano Goya also shot 64 Saturday to join a pack of five at 8-under 208. On a day where many players were scrambling -- there were 179 bogeys and 27 double bogeys or worse Saturday -- Kruger was very consistent. He opened with three pars and then had a birdie at No. 4. He made a 20-foot eagle putt at the 538-yard, par-5 sixth hole and, after eight consecutive pars, made a putt off the green for eagle at the par-4, 374-yard 15th. A closing birdie at 18 gave him the outright lead.