Rory McIlroy lamented a cold putter on day three of the DP World India Championship and feels he has left himself too much to do to win at Delhi Golf Club.
McIlroy finished in style with a closing birdie for a 68 and a ten-under total which leaves him in a share of eleventh place but five shots behind Tommy Fleetwood who had just started his back nine when he had signed his card.
The Holywood man is the main attraction this week but the Grand Slam winner knows he will need to produce all his magic and rely on mistakes ahead if he is to win in India for the first time. A feat which he admits seems unlikely.
“Still quite a bit back depending on how the guys play the back nine,” said McIlroy after his round. “If I can shoot a low one tomorrow and maybe post a score and see what happens. But I’d say I’m probably two shots too far back to have a realistic chance. If I can go out and shoot a low one tomorrow you never know.”
Teeing off six shots off the pace, McIlroy started well with an opening birdie before a birdie on the 6th completed a steady front nine.
He dropped a shot at the eleventh but finished well with birdies on 13 and 14 before he rolled in a ten footer on the last.
It was a 68 that could have been a 65 as the world number two saw good birdie chances go begging.
“I played OK today. I could have been a little better I missed a lot of putts, gave myself a lot of good chances. The course if you put the ball in play you will have a lot of chances for birdies.”
McIlroy expects the hot scoring to continue over the next 27 holes which won’t help his cause as he needs the leaders to slow up.
“The course played similar today to the first two days, not that there was much wind but there was even less today. The scoring is pretty good and I think the players are getting used to the golf course and taking advantage of the holes that you should.
