McIlroy Collapses in India; Chacarra Seizes DP World Lead
Spaniard leads by two as McIlroy slips out of contention
Rory McIlroy’s bid for an eighth Harry Vardon Trophy suffered a severe setback Saturday as he trailed leader Eugenio Chacarra by ten shots at the DP World India Championship. The collapse occurred during a brutal eight-hole stretch where the Northern Irishman carded four bogeys and a double-bogey, effectively ending his realistic chances of catching the Spanish challenger.
Chacarra, who holds the lowest score among active Race to Dubai contenders trailing Patrick Reed, dominated the field with a 14-under-par total when bad light halted play. He will resume Sunday needing to complete seven holes of his third round, holding a two-stroke advantage over Angel Hidalgo and Joost Luiten.
The tournament schedule was disrupted earlier in the week by weather delays, forcing the completion of Round Two on Saturday morning. Chacarra entered the final day of regulation play with momentum, having posted back-to-back rounds of 67 and adding four birdies in his first seven holes of Round Three.
McIlroy began his third round with promise, birdieing the first hole after closing his second round with another gain. The trajectory reversed sharply at the third, where he found thick rough, followed by a sand trap miss at the fourth that resulted in consecutive bogeys. A failed chip shot at the sixth led to a double-bogey, marking the start of his downward spiral.
Despite an eagle from a greenside bunker at the 14th, McIlroy remained mired in a tie for 40th place with three holes remaining. His struggles stand in stark contrast to Scott Jamieson, who sits 11 under par and just three strokes off the lead. The Scot faces a grueling Sunday, needing to play 25 holes to complete his round.
Todd Clements and Tom McKibbin finished one shot further back than Jamieson. Reigning champion Tommy Fleetwood and Italy’s Gregorio De Leo posted the best scores among players who completed their rounds, both sitting at nine under par. Dan Bradbury and Bob MacIntyre trailed closely at eight under, while Shane Lowry and Laurie Canter grouped together at seven under.
