Chacarra pulls ahead while McIlroy slips as darkness stops play

Eugenio Chacarra expanded his lead at the DP World India Championship on Saturday, while Rory McIlroy fell back before the third round was suspended due to darkness. The Spanish player stood at 10 under par after two rounds, one shot ahead of the field, and after 11 holes on the third day he was two strokes clear of his nearest rivals.

Chacarra, 26, opened his third round with four birdies in his first seven holes, following back‑to‑back rounds of 67. His strong start puts him in position to overtake American Patrick Reed at the top of the season‑long Race to Dubai rankings.

Close on his heels were fellow Spaniard Angel Hidalgo and the Netherlands’ Joost Luisten, both at 12 under, with Scotland’s Scott Jamieson a shot further back. Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin trailed by four, while defending champion Tommy Fleetwood was five strokes behind after posting a four‑under 68. Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre sat at eight under with five holes left in his round.

McIlroy, who is third in the Race to Dubai behind Reed and Chacarra, saw his lead evaporate as he struggled through an erratic third round. After a bogey‑free 68 in the second round, the six‑time major winner birdied the first tee but then dropped four consecutive shots from the third hole onward. He recovered with a birdie on the seventh, but posted back‑to‑back bogeys on the ninth and tenth. A highlight came at the 14th when he holed out from a bunker for an eagle three.

Reed had completed the first 13 holes of his third round and was two strokes ahead of McIlroy when play was halted. The 2018 Masters champion, who leads the Race to Dubai after early victories in Dubai and Qatar, mixed five birdies and a single bogey before holing his 150‑yard approach for a spectacular eagle two on the fourth hole after teeing off at the 10th.

Play is set to resume at 02:05 BST on Sunday.