It’s shaping up to be a thrilling final round at the DP World Tour’s India Open. 

That’s if Keita Nakajima, who shot a bogey-free, 7-under 65 to take a two-stroke lead, doesn’t seize control of the tournament early on Sunday. 

However, Nakajima has two of the world’s best on his tail: Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry. 

Fleetwood is two back and Lowry is three. While the competition is fierce, Nakajima, a former top-ranked amateur in the world, credited Lowry, with whom he was paired with on Saturday, for his improved performance to start the weekend. 

“I love his swing tempo,” Nakajima, 25, said, “and I copied him. So that’s why my swing [was] better than yesterday. And mindset was great.”

Lowry, though, doesn’t feel he put together a model round. 

“I got very frustrated on the back nine today. I started to hit very loose shots, made some silly mistakes,” the Irishman said.

Fleetwood, meanwhile, held the 36-hole lead at Delhi Golf Club, but shot 69 on Saturday. His first bogey in 37 holes came with a three-putt on No. 17. And on the next hole, the par-5 18th, he pulled his second into the woods, but it kicked out back onto the fairway. Then, he nearly holed out for eagle, settling for a birdie that will put him in the final group in Round 4. 

“Two behind is close enough where I’m still in control of it a little bit,” Fleetwood said. 

Rory McIlroy enters the final round seven back and, unlike Fleetwood, feels a miracle would be needed to leave India with a victory. 

“If I shoot a low one tomorrow, I could post a score and see what happens,” the reigning Masters champion said, “but I’d say I'm probably two shots too far behind to have a realistic chance.”


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry in the Hunt Entering Final Round of India Championship.

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