Royal County Down (N Ireland), Sep 15 (PTI) India’s Shubhankar Sharma floundered in blustery conditions on the third day of the Irish Open, carding 5-over 76 to slip to tied 36 from tied 15.
Sharma had just one birdie, while he made two bogeys and two double bogeys. But has one more round to make up for his third round slip-up.
The conditions on the third day were very windy and only four players broke 70.
Rory McIlroy moved into pole position to secure a dream Irish Open title after posting a two under par round of 69 on day three.
The Northern Irishman, who hails from nearby Hollywood, leads by one on six under par with Italy’s Matteo Manassero one stroke behind after carding a one over 72 in Newcastle.
McIlroy was one of only four players to break 70, with none of them managing to better his effort.
The four-time Major winner made his intentions clear from the off with an impressive eagle at the par five first after a glorious approach from the right rough to five feet.
He bogeyed the fifth for the third day in succession but then returned to red numbers with another sublime approach to the short par three seventh.
The 35-year-old threatened to burst clear when he holed from 32 feet for birdie on the 13th but a second dropped shot of the day at the last, following a wayward drive, meant his advantage halved to one ahead of Sunday’s final round.
McIlroy will bid to win in his home country of Northern Ireland for the first time as a professional and seal Ireland’s national open title for the second time, after capturing his first in 2016 at The K Club.
Manassero, who completed a remarkable return to the top of the game when he won a fifth DP World Tour title in South Africa earlier this year almost 11 years after capturing his fourth, mixed four bogeys with three birdies but was unable to make the 52-footer on the last that would have sent him into Sunday with a share of the lead.
Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre is looking to make history of his own as he bids to become the first player to win both the Irish Open and the Genesis Scottish Open in the same season, and he will go into day four just three off the lead in a tie for third.
The two-time PGA TOUR winner is joined on three under par by Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard, Englishman Jordan Smith and South African Erik van Rooyen.
Source: PTI News
