European Tour Release, 24 November 2018: Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar dropped eight spots on the leaderboard on a low scoring third day at the World Cup of Golf. The Indians made five birdies including three in a row but also conceded three bogeys as they made a 70 on Saturday. At 10-under through 54 holes, Anirban and Gaganjeet are now nine behind the leaders.
Belgium carded a brilliant third-round 63 to open up a commanding five-shot lead heading into the final day of the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf.
Thomas Detry and Thomas Pieters entered day three at The Metropolitan Golf Club in a share of the lead but a Detry eagle on the ninth put them two ahead and they powered away on the back nine as the chasing pack faltered.
The duo were bogey-free in signing for a 63 in the opening fourballs and they repeated the trick on Saturday, sandwiching one of just four under-par rounds in the foursomes on day two to get to 19 under.
The Italian team of Andrea Pavan and Renato Paratore were at 14 under alongside South Korean pair Byeong-hun An and Si Woo Kim, and Mexican duo Abraham Ancer and Roberto Diaz.
England, Sweden and Australia were then six shots off the lead.
Italy had been their closest challengers for most of the day, following a birdie at the first with a long Paratore putt at the fourth, and sandwiching an excellent tee-shot on the par-three eighth with birdies on the seventh and ninth.
Pavan made a tap-in birdie on the tenth and while they picked up a shot on the 13th, a double-bogey on the next stalled momentum. They picked up further shots on the 16th and 17th but bogeyed the last.
Mexico made birdies on the fourth, seventh and ninth to turn in 33 and added another on the 12th before Ancer hit a brilliant approach into the 13th. An eight-foot putt on the 16th brought Ancer another birdie and a Diaz gain from 12 feet on the 17th kept them in touch.
An and Kim had made three birdies and a bogey on the front nine but registered six pars in a row on the back nine before An got on the front edge of the 16th green off the tee and holed a lengthy eagle putt before they finished bogey-birdie.
Alexander Björk and Joakim Lagergren made birdies on the second, third, seventh, ninth, tenth, 15th, 16th and 18th in a 64, while Australia managed one further bride on the 16th in a 65.
Tyrrell Hatton and Ian Poulter bogeyed the third but bounced back with gains on the fourth, seventh, ninth, 13th, 14th and last. Ireland, Scotland and Canada were all 11 under.