Keita Nakajima upstages big names to grab sole lead with flawless round

New Delhi: Even as the biggest names on the golf circuit like Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Brian Harman and Luke Donald struggled to decipher the course and its various challenges failing to remain consistently good over three days, Japan’s Keita Nakajima (in pic), the man who is no stranger to Delhi having won Indian Open in 2024 at the DLF Golf Course and Country Club, charted the course as the master of all he surveyed.

The largest crowd and support was without doubt reserved for McIlroy, and there were large numbers to cheer on Fleetwood and Lowry – who played alongside Nakajima. At 11.05 am at Delhi Golf Club, as McIlroy teed off on the third day of the DP World Championship, a packed gallery and a large number standing outside the rope, almost falling over, waited with baited breath for their hero to unveil his best.

He birdied the first hole and a loud roar egged him on. But what followed was a string of missed putts. His regulation shots to the green were exceptional, even when he had hit under the tree on the 16th, he got himself out on the green with a perfect shot that stayed just underneath the trees that lined up on the side just like a crocodile does while attacking its prey. But then the two putts.

That was the case all throughout. He had managed to carve himself out of trouble on the 11th with a chip on the bunker but then bogeyed.

“Felt like I missed a lot of putts today. I gave myself a lot of chances and felt like I squandered a few. I should probably be a few shots better than I am, but another solid day and hopefully a low one tomorrow (on Sunday) and post a score and at least give the guys up ahead something to think about,” said McIlroy.

“I am probably two shots too far behind to have a realistic chance. But I could go out and shoot a low one tomorrow.”

Fleetwood, who was the overnight leader with 12-under had Nakajima up his sleeve through the first nine. The Japanese had whittled down the lead but Fleetwood held on to it by a stroke when the first nine ended.

But then Fleetwood messed up the back nine. He avoided a bogey and then missed five on the trot for birdies, bogeying the 17th before birdying the last one.

“Yeah, disappointing, but 72 holes. I had a five-hole stretch where I didn't putt very well. I'll try and fix it now and then we'll go again tomorrow,” said Fleetwood.

While the English golfer was messing up the back nine, Nakajima chugged along well, picking birdies on the 12th, 13th and 14th to cap off a flawless round.

His class was displayed on the 18th where he hit the ball from the fairway into the rough but got out with a great chip that landed just 15-20 feet from the hole.

The distance the chipped ball travelled was long enough for Nakajima to walk to it and a spectator to unseal his bottle and drink it to half in sips. 

“The back nine is tough. My plan was back nine is playing hard, but luckily three birdies and bogey-free round. I am happy with that,” said Nakajima.

Nakajima spoke about his experience of playing with Lowry.

“I played with Shane Lowry. I love his swing tempo and his golf style, so I learned from Shane a lot. I copied his swing tempo every shot.”

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Tags : Keita Nakajima, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, DP World India Championship