So maybe the jungles along the narrow fairways of Delhi Golf Club aren’t so punishing after all. Or at least the one on the left side of the 18th hole wasn’t for Tommy Fleetwood on Saturday.
Fleetwood, the 36-hole leader, had become a chaser after Keita Nakajima posted a bogey-free 65 and maintained a three-shot lead at the DP World India Championship as Fleetwood closed out his third round.
Both players belonged to the almost 50% field this weekplay without a driver on a unique Delhi Golf Club layout that is actually carved into the jungle just outside one of the world’s largest cities. The fairways on the 6,912 meter course are only 25 meters wide on average.
Fleetwood almost found out what exactly happens after an errant shot on his final hole Saturday. From the first rough cut left at the finishing hole, Fleetwood went to the par-5 green in two with a long iron on the longest hole on the course and pulled it further left towards the brush.
The crowd was silent as Fleetwood’s ball headed towards what could at best have been an unplayable lie and the ball probably could have been lost, but it turns out that dense jungle just off the fairway sometimes acts as a bumper.
In a stroke of genius, Fleetwood’s ball bounced off the trees and kicked back into the middle of the fairway, bisecting just before the par-5 green.
From there, Fleetwood went up and down for birdie, regaining the shot he dropped with a three-putt at 17 and entering Sunday’s final round at 15 under, in solo second, two behind Nakajima.
On a course where players fear a bad shot like no other venue we’ve seen in modern times, Fleetwood finished with a birdie after his worst shot of the week.
“Concentrate on the really good things and know that if I play like this I have a really good chance to score and shoot a good round,” he said of his position going into Sunday’s final round. “Two at the back is so close that I still have a little control over it. Keita is not far enough at the front where he has full control.”
Also in the hunt is Fleetwood’s Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry, who is just a shot further at 14 under before being level at 13, including 2023 Open Championship winner Brian Harman.
I’m in a great position in this tournament. I love the golf course,” said Lowry, a player who is playing a driver this week. “I think it suits me and I think I’ll get a low score. I’ve already shown that once this week. I need a low score tomorrow to try to win.”
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