Hero Indian Open: Chacarra leads by one shot after Nakajima slips

Gurugram: The allure of golf majors is about getting the world’s elite to confront the challenges thrown up by the courses. If the US Open championship invariably places a premium on driving accuracy, the Augusta Masters next week will be about showing imagination with the approach shots and on the green.

Japan’s Keita Nakajima, aspiring to soon join the ranks of the PGA Tour regulars by defending his title at the $2.25 million Hero Indian Open here, found out on Saturday that imaginative shots on the hard greens of the DLF Golf and Country course can leave one rather frustrated. Day 3 is meant to be the moving day, but it was toiling day for all players.

The 24-year-old, overnight 4-under par to be tied for the lead with young Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra, had been a picture of patience and steady play with pars on the first 14 holes. The Japanese had dazzled with seven birdies in his first nine holes on Friday. He didn’t gain a shot heading to the tee for the par-5 15th, which saw him enjoy a two-stroke lead until then the rest stumbled one after the other. The closest among the chasing pack were missing mid-range putts, rolled with a touch of anxiety lacking trust of the line. They invariably changed direction inches from the pin.

Now for the imagination part. Nakajima’s third shot on 15th had settled on the other end of the green. With about 30 feet for what would have been a sensational birdie, the ridge made Nakajima bring it back to the pin from the top of the green. It didn’t miss the hole by much, but rolled away, leaving him with a 10-footer to salvage par. The man who had been brilliant around the green this week missed, dropping his first shot after 14 holes.

Chacarra, 25, had bogeyed the first and seventh holes but fought on, and superbly sank his 12-foot birdie putt, dropping the putter and spreading his arms in celebration. He was now back in joint lead with Nakajima. The assurance of the Japanese dipped as he bogeyed the tough 17th hole too after his putt lipped off the pin. Chacarra now had a one-shot lead, which he will take into the final day.

The 25-year-old Spaniard attacked the par-5 18th and found the green in two, but didn’t succeed with a long birdie putt. Nakajima played it safe, laying up to also take the par and the two-over 74 to his playing partner’s 73.

The day of struggle for the field with strong breeze adding to their woes – there were just three sub-par scores on Friday, none better than one-under 71s – dashed any hopes the weekend fans had of watching some exciting golf in this Asia Swing event on the DP World Tour.

South Africa’s Brandon Stone was one of those to card 71, to be tied second with Nakajima at two-under for the event. One-under overnight, the 31-year-old with three wins on the DP World Tour had three birdies and bogeys each until he gained a shot on the last hole.

Only five players have sub-par scores for the tournament. Sweden’s Jens Dantorp and England’s Matthew Jordan were T4 at one-under par. Dantorp rose to 3-under with successive birdies, but bogeyed the 10th. Birdie on the 15th took him to a shot off the lead, only to double bogey the 17th. Jordan’s 73 had three birdies, two bogeys and a double.

Indian players toiled with Ajeetesh Sandhu the best among them at T15 after he shot a two-over 74. Shubhankar Sharma, India’s No.1, was T45 at 9-over after a four-over 76 with five bogeys.