DP World India Championship - Day three digest

Darius van Driel got his running shoes on, Laurie Canter doubled up and cricketing great Sachin Tendulkar offered up an interesting comparison on day three of the 2026 DP World India Championship.

Here is everything you need to know from an elongated Moving Day in New Delhi.

Chac attack

Round two was completed early on Saturday morning following long weather delays earlier in the week. Eugenio Chacarra led at that stage on 10 under par after a second successive round of 67 featuring seven birdies, and maintained that lead by playing the first 11 holes of his third round in four under par before the light gave out in New Delhi. The Spaniard is bidding to beat Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy to top the Race to Dubai Rankings delivered by DP World and said after his second round: "That's what I play every week for, you have a chance to win the tournament the last nine holes on Sunday. Obviously it's nice when you're at the top but there is a lot of golf left still."

Darius' dash

That long day led to at least one interesting strategic gambit as players sought to get their rounds finished and avoid an early alarm call on Sunday. Darius van Driel had to be quick out of the blocks to get his group in position to play their final hole, the ninth, and his fleet of foot earned the gratitude of playing partner Dan Bradbury. The final hole did not help the Englishman's score, with his double-bogey the only blemish on a card previously featuring two separate runs of four birdies, but he said: "Literally we just sent Darius running from the eighth green to the ninth tee there to try and finish. Yeah, very, very helpful. That's an extra two, maybe three hours in bed. Yeah, played 28 holes today. Need the rest tonight."

Great escapes

The second hole witnessed a couple of extraordinary approaches - Joost Luiten found the cart path down the left, with Laurie Canter slightly further off line in the dirt, only for both men to find the green.

Double delight

Canter also enjoyed the unusual feat of making two eagles in a day at the same hole. Finishing the bulk of his second round before almost immediately embarking on his third, he took full advantage of the par-five eighth. "It is a dogleg left to right, so suits my little fade so I feel like I can sneak a bit more round the corner than maybe someone who hits a draw," he said. "I hit two perfect tee shots and had like four irons in. And then, yeah, hit two - this morning would've been like a 50-footer or something. This afternoon just had a good number straight at the pin and ended up in there real close."

Chouhan gives chase

Another order of merit title is up for grabs on the Professional Golf Tour of India, in the newly-structured Race to the DP World India Championship. Om Prakash Chouhan, who won that honour in 2023, shot 71 to reach five under as he bids to chase down Saptak Talwar. Chouhan said: “My body was feeling very tight after playing 36 holes, but I stayed focused on my game. I’ve played here many times, so I know how to plan my way around the course and where to position the ball. That experience has helped me.”

Estrup starstruck

Several sporting celebrities have been in attendance this week and Niklas Nørgaard's caddie Kasper Broch Estrup found time to get an autograph from ex-Brazil striker Ronaldo!

No (cover) driver

Sachin Tendulkar, perhaps India's most famous sporting son, added a further sprinkle of stardust and Test cricket's all-time record run-scorer picked out an intriguing cross-sport comparison. The narrow targets and punishing rough around Delhi Golf Club has led many players not to even carry a driver this week, reminding Tendulkar of his decision to shelve his cover drive after a run of dismissals outside off stump. "It's the discipline, it's not a technical flaw," Tendulkar recalled his brother telling him ahead of a 2004 Test against Australia. "I said, 'no bowler is going to get me out. Five days, if I bat, I will not get out'. I stayed not out in both innings. I kept leaving the ball and I said, 'If I bat for five days, I will not hit a single cover drive. That is what you want me to do - I will not do that'." Scores of 241 not out and 60 not out suggest he made the right call!

Hidalgo swings for the fences

That scarcity of driver opportunities may have curbed Angel Hidalgo's full recoil tendencies, but he still showcased much of his repertoire off the tee as he finished the day in a share of second place.