Shane Lowry remains in contention for the DP World India Championship in Delhi despite admitting his frustration on his back nine on Saturday as he carded a second successive 69 that left him three off the lead on 14 under.
Lowry turned in three under but played the back nine in level par, with a birdie at the last leaving him one behind Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood and three behind defending champion Keita Nakajima from Japan, who went to the top of the leaderboard after a seven-under 65.
“I got very frustrated on the back nine today. I started to hit very loose shots, made some silly mistakes,” admitted Lowry.
Fleetwood benefited from a lucky break off a tree lining Delhi Golf Club to finish with a birdie. The English golfer had just carded his first bogey in 37 holes after three-putting the short 17th from 35 feet when he pulled his approach to the par-5 last.
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His ball looked in danger of being lost in the thick vegetation only for it to clatter a branch deep in the trees and rebound close to the front fringe from where he almost holed a chip for eagle.
A 69 and 15-under total left him in touching distance of Nakajima, but Fleetwood was frustrated by his form on the greens.
“It was a shame because my pace was pretty rubbish all day but I felt I’d held out so well,” said Fleetwood, who is looking for his first win on the DP World Tour since January 2024, having made his PGA Tour breakthrough in August’s Tour Championship.
“I’m not going to be negative about it, I know I’ve got to do a bit of work on it but I’ve done so much good so far.
“Two behind is close enough where I’m still in control of it a little bit.”
Nakajima, the 25-year-old former world number one amateur, capped his rookie season with a victory in Delhi last year and he enjoyed a bogey-free round playing alongside Lowry that included three birdies in four holes on the front nine and three straight from the 12th on the way home.
England’s Alex Fitzpatrick had four birdies in his opening nine holes and finished with a five-under 67 to sit on 13 under.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy’s best round of the week – 68 to get to 10 under – saw him limit himself to just one bogey but he found himself seven back, further off the lead than when he started.
The world number two accepts chasing down the leaders is unlikely.
“If I shoot a low one tomorrow I could post a score and see what happens but I’d say I’m probably two shots too far behind to have a realistic chance,” he said.
The Northern Irishman spent Friday night at an event on stage in his Masters green jacket alongside national cricketing hero Sachin Tendulkar.
“To be out there on stage with a living legend in Sachin and just to hear him talk a little bit about his career was really enjoyable for me and it’s always nice for an excuse to put on the green jacket every now and then,” he added.
