Veer Ahlawat encountered a mixed bag of results on the third day of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, slipping down the leaderboard after a 1-over 73 round.
Despite five birdies, four bogeys, and a double bogey, the 27-year-old Indian golfer finished the day 5-over for 54 holes, leaving him in a tie for 36th place.
Ahlawat had shown great promise earlier, as he had secured playing rights on the DP World Tour by topping the Indian PGTI Tour Order of Merit, but he faced challenges in his third round.
The round began optimistically for Ahlawat, as he opened with a birdie. However, things quickly took a turn when he dropped shots on the next two holes. A steady par followed, but Ahlawat could not fully recover from the early setbacks.
He did manage to string together a birdie on the fifth hole, only to give it back with a bogey. Another birdie on the eighth hole saw him turn in even par, with a mix of birdies, bogeys, and pars during the front nine.
However, the back nine proved tougher. A double bogey on the tenth hole dampened his progress, although five pars helped him maintain some consistency.
Ahlawat finished the round with birdies on the 16th and 18th, but a bogey in between prevented him from climbing higher up the leaderboard. The 1-over 73 round was a challenging one for Ahlawat, who will be looking to recover in the final round.
India’s other representative, Shubhankar Sharma, had a disappointing week, failing to make the cut and miss out on the weekend action.
This tournament is Ahlawat's second event on the DP World Tour, and he had come into it full of hope after a strong start. His first two rounds of 70-69 had placed him in a tie for 15th, but his third round made it clear that consistency is key to competing at this level.
Meanwhile, at the top of the leaderboard, Spain’s Alejandro del Rey showed a masterclass in short game to take control of the tournament. Del Rey began the day two shots behind leader Marcus Armitage, but a stunning 66 saw him take a two-shot lead at 16-under par.
The Spaniard’s excellent round set up an exciting final day of the championship, with Armitage in second place at 14-under following his steady 70.
The competition for the title seems to be narrowing to a two-horse race. Australia’s Jason Scrivener, after a solid 65, is positioned at 9-under and will need a strong finish to challenge the leaders.
South Africa’s Shaun Norris and French golfer David Ravetto are tied for third place and also remain within striking distance.
Follow us
