Eugenio Chacarra tightened his grip on the DP World India Championship on Saturday, holding a two-shot lead at 14 under par when the third round was suspended because of fading light, while Rory McIlroy drifted ten shots off the pace after a torrid stretch, according to Sky Sports.
The Spaniard was four under for his round after 11 holes, having taken the halfway lead by completing a second-round 67 earlier on Saturday. With most of the field yet to finish their third round, Eugenio Chacarra stood alone at the top of the leaderboard.
Play will restart at 6.35am local time on Sunday, with Eugenio Chacarra needing to play the remaining seven holes of his third round as well as his entire final round.
Eugenio Chacarra Holds Firm as Darkness Falls
Chacarra’s nearest challengers are Joost Luiten and Angel Hidalgo, who were both four under for their rounds after 12 and 11 holes respectively and shared second place on 12 under par. Daniel Hillier, Adrian Meronk and Scott Jamieson were a further shot back.
Patrick Reed and McIlroy — who are battling Chacarra for the season-long Race to Dubai title — were eight and ten shots off the lead respectively, leaving Eugenio Chacarra firmly in control of both the tournament and the wider season narrative.
The 26-year-old has made a habit of thriving in India. Chacarra earned one of the biggest wins of his career in the country last year, triumphing at the Hero Indian Open while playing on an invitation to earn his full status on the European tour. He had previously been on the LIV Golf circuit before making the switch back to the European circuit, where he has continued to grow into one of the tour’s most exciting young talents.
Chacarra’s comfort on Indian fairways is no coincidence. The courses here tend to reward aggressive iron play and confident putting, two areas in which the Spaniard has excelled this week. Eugenio Chacarra’s ability to go low — a second-round 67 followed by four under through 11 holes on Saturday — has kept the chasing pack at arm’s length throughout the weekend.
McIlroy Fades After Dreadful Eight-Hole Stretch
McIlroy was only four shots off the 36-hole lead after a bogey-free second-round 68, but he slipped out of contention following a dreadful eight-hole stretch in the third round, according to Sky Sports.
Between the third and the tenth, the Northern Irishman made four bogeys and a double that included a duffed chip from thick rough beside the green. Holing out from a bunker for eagle at the 14th eased some of his misery, but he was still two over for his third round after 15 holes.
McIlroy is seeking an eighth Race to Dubai title as the European tour’s number one player of the season, which would tie the record of Colin Montgomerie, but he now faces a monumental task to recover from ten shots back.
Eugenio Chacarra Chases Second Big Indian Win
Speaking about competing with the world’s best, Chacarra told Sky Sports: “Obviously they’re the best, one of the best two players in the world, so for me to compete with them I need to bring my A-game like I said and I’m trying to do that.” He added that his team were doing everything they could to contend in Dubai, knowing he needed points and momentum to keep pace with players who never rest.
With seven holes of his third round and a full final round to play on Sunday, Chacarra is in a strong position to secure another famous victory on Indian soil. A win would also significantly strengthen his hand in the Race to Dubai battle against McIlroy and Reed heading into the closing weeks of the season.
The early 6.35am restart adds another layer of intrigue to Sunday’s finale. Eugenio Chacarra will need to pick up exactly where he left off when darkness halted play, with the chasing group — Luiten, Hidalgo and the trio a further shot back — all capable of mounting a serious challenge. If the Spaniard’s putter stays hot, however, a second big Indian triumph looks well within reach.
Live coverage of the final day’s play continues on Sky Sports Golf, with the Spaniard aiming to finish the job he started so impressively on Saturday.