TOM MCKIBBIN AND Shane Lowry have made ground, but Rory McIlroy’s hopes receded, as the DP World India Championship third round was halted by fading light.
McKibbin was flawless through 14 holes before the close of play. He birdied the par-five opener before chipping in from the fringe at the fifth and capitalising on a short putt at the next. A pinpoint approach allowed him to gain another stroke at the 13th.
That got him to 10-under and a tie for seventh, four shots behind Spanish leader Eugenio Chacarra.
Lowry carried on the momentum of his second-round 65 to open with three birdies inside four holes. He nailed a 34-putt putt at the fourth to make it 11 birdies without dropping a shot over the previous 18 holes.
WHAT A START 🔥
Shane Lowry holes a 35ft putt to open with three birdies in his first four holes 💪
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That has transformed his week from a four-over start and battle to make the cut to reaching seven-under and a share of 16th place.
McIlroy stalled after an opening birdie got him to seven-under. Between the third and seventh holes, he recorded back-to-back bogeys followed by a messy double-bogey at the sixth, where he was just off the green in two but duffed a chip which barely travelled a yard.
He birdied the seventh before losing two more strokes in succession at holes nine and 10.
He did end his day on a high note, holing a 32-yard bunker shot for an eagle at the 14th. That left him at four-under with three holes to go before the hooter sounded.
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RORY MCILROY HOLES OUT FOR EAGLE FROM THE BUNKER 🤩
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Chacarra is 14-under with 11 holes played, two shots ahead of his compatriot Angel Hidalgo and Dutch golfer Joost Luiten, who have completed 11 and 12 holes respectively.
Chacarra is the nearest challenger to Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed, who narrowly made the cut in New Delhi at level par before ending the day six-under. McIlroy is just behind in third on the season-long rankings.
McIlroy is seeking to win the Harry Vardon Trophy for an eighth time, equalling the record held by Colin Montgomerie.
Earlier on Saturday, McKibbin and McIlroy had reached six-under by the close of round two, with McKibbin shooting 71 and McIlroy 68.
Lowry, meanwhile, gathered eight birdies to go round in 65 for four-under.
Shane Lowry birdies the 18th on Saturday morning to end his second round 🙌
#DPWIC https://t.co/rxO76zgqWJ
Elsewhere, Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh had to endure tough weather at the Buick LPGA Shanghai.
Amid strong winds, Maguire coughed up five bogeys and a double-bogey before pulling back three birdies late in her round. A closing bogey meant a 77 and five-over.
Walsh’s front nine similarly featured five bogeys and a double before a steadier back nine, which included two birdies and a bogey. Her 78 left her on 14-over.
Only eight players are under par, led by South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi on nine-under.
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McKibbin and Lowry gain ground, but eight-hole nightmare puts McIlroy out of contention
LAST UPDATE | 9 hrs ago
TOM MCKIBBIN AND Shane Lowry have made ground, but Rory McIlroy’s hopes receded, as the DP World India Championship third round was halted by fading light.
McKibbin was flawless through 14 holes before the close of play. He birdied the par-five opener before chipping in from the fringe at the fifth and capitalising on a short putt at the next. A pinpoint approach allowed him to gain another stroke at the 13th.
That got him to 10-under and a tie for seventh, four shots behind Spanish leader Eugenio Chacarra.
Lowry carried on the momentum of his second-round 65 to open with three birdies inside four holes. He nailed a 34-putt putt at the fourth to make it 11 birdies without dropping a shot over the previous 18 holes.
That has transformed his week from a four-over start and battle to make the cut to reaching seven-under and a share of 16th place.
McIlroy stalled after an opening birdie got him to seven-under. Between the third and seventh holes, he recorded back-to-back bogeys followed by a messy double-bogey at the sixth, where he was just off the green in two but duffed a chip which barely travelled a yard.
He birdied the seventh before losing two more strokes in succession at holes nine and 10.
He did end his day on a high note, holing a 32-yard bunker shot for an eagle at the 14th. That left him at four-under with three holes to go before the hooter sounded.
Chacarra is 14-under with 11 holes played, two shots ahead of his compatriot Angel Hidalgo and Dutch golfer Joost Luiten, who have completed 11 and 12 holes respectively.
Chacarra is the nearest challenger to Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed, who narrowly made the cut in New Delhi at level par before ending the day six-under. McIlroy is just behind in third on the season-long rankings.
McIlroy is seeking to win the Harry Vardon Trophy for an eighth time, equalling the record held by Colin Montgomerie.
Earlier on Saturday, McKibbin and McIlroy had reached six-under by the close of round two, with McKibbin shooting 71 and McIlroy 68.
Lowry, meanwhile, gathered eight birdies to go round in 65 for four-under.
Elsewhere, Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh had to endure tough weather at the Buick LPGA Shanghai.
Amid strong winds, Maguire coughed up five bogeys and a double-bogey before pulling back three birdies late in her round. A closing bogey meant a 77 and five-over.
Walsh’s front nine similarly featured five bogeys and a double before a steadier back nine, which included two birdies and a bogey. Her 78 left her on 14-over.
Only eight players are under par, led by South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi on nine-under.
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