European Tour Release, 26 January 2019: American Bryson DeChambeau remains on course to achieve his dream of claiming a maiden overseas victory this week after producing a 68 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar continued to showcase their resilience with a battling effort in the third round.
Shubhankar made an event filled 70 containing a double bogey at the ninth and three other bogeys. But the young Indian also produced some scintillating birdies, seven in total to end the day on his own terms. At 6-under through 54 holes, Shubhankar is ten off the pace, but only four or five strokes shy of a shot at a top twenty finish on Sunday.
Gaganjeet was far less eventful at the Emirates Golf Club. He produced five birdies, more than adequate to erase bogeys at the first and fourteenth holes in a determined 69.
The halfway co-leader mixed six birdies with two bogeys on day three to jump to 16 under par and establish a one-stroke lead over defending champion Li Haotong with 18 holes remaining at Emirates Golf Club.
Li closed his third-round 67 with back-to-back birdies to sit alone in second place, two shots ahead of Ernie Els – a three-time winner of this event – and Englishman Matt Wallace on 13 under.
Lucas Herbert, who had led alongside DeChambeau after 36 holes, Challenge Tour graduate Kalle Samooja, 2011 winner Alvaro Quiros and Thorbjørn Olesen were then in a tie for fifth on 12 under.
“I’m just not 100 per cent with my golf game right now. Shoot, I’m still leading, obviously. It’s fantastic. I couldn’t be displeased with that, but my expectation levels are for how I know I can perform, and I feel like I’m underperforming a little bit,” said DeChambeau.
“Still in the lead, still got the job done. Made it happen when it’s necessary and hopefully I can have one more of those days and maybe even a better-ball striking day.
“A little more difficult I would say. The wind was up and the greens were kind of tricky. There were a couple holes that threw me off, and it is what it is. Everybody had to go through the same thing, and you know, I was lucky to prevail and I’m on top at the end of the day.
“It would be awesome. I can’t express to you the words how awesome it would be to win on the European Tour.”
Round Three Scores
200 B Dechambeau (USA) 66 66 68,
201 H Li (Chn) 67 67 67,
203 E Els (RSA) 68 65 70, M Wallace (Eng) 70 64 69,
204 A Quiros (Esp) 69 64 71, L Herbert (Aus) 69 63 72, K Samooja (Fin) 66 70 68, T Olesen (Den) 69 67 68,
205 M Fitzpatrick (Eng) 65 70 70, J Scrivener (Aus) 67 67 71, J Smith (Eng) 68 68 69,
206 G Coetzee (RSA) 70 65 71, T Fleetwood (Eng) 68 70 68, L Westwood (Eng) 67 70 69, M Pavon (Fra) 66 68 72, A Johnston (Eng) 72 69 65, B An (Kor) 70 68 68, S Garcia (Esp) 66 70 70,
207 L Bjerregaard (Den) 72 68 67, S Lowry (Irl) 69 67 71, B Dredge (Wal) 68 68 71, R Fisher (Eng) 69 69 69, K Koivu (Fin) 67 68 72, V Perez (Fra) 70 70 67, F Zanotti (Par) 69 66 72,
208 I Poulter (Eng) 67 71 70, P Waring (Eng) 67 70 71, M Korhonen (Fin) 71 67 70, N Colsaerts (Bel) 74 67 67, R Wattel (Fra) 68 70 70, A Wu (Chn) 71 68 69, A Arnaus (Esp) 68 68 72, R Ramsay (Sco) 69 72 67, E Pepperell (Eng) 72 67 69,
209 T Pieters (Bel) 72 69 68, C Shinkwin (Eng) 66 68 75, T Bjørn (Den) 72 68 69,
210 S Sharma (Ind) 71 69 70, J Hansen (Den) 73 66 71, M Kaymer (Ger) 71 67 72, V Dubuisson (Fra) 71 70 69, G Bhullar (Ind) 71 70 69, A Rai (Eng) 70 68 72, A Björk (Swe) 68 70 72, J Harding (RSA) 70 68 72, T Hatton (Eng) 69 70 71, T Detry (Bel) 68 68 74, T Pulkkanen (Fin) 68 73 69, M Schwab (Aut) 69 72 69, R Langasque (Fra) 66 70 74,
211 J Dantorp (Swe) 70 70 71, J Campillo (Esp) 69 67 75, R Karlsson (Swe) 75 65 71, S Hend (Aus) 66 70 75, T Jaidee (Tha) 66 71 74, T Lewis (Eng) 68 72 71,
212 P Larrazabal (Esp) 72 66 74, H Tanihara (Jpn) 67 74 71, D Burmester (RSA) 70 69 73, T Aiken (RSA) 71 68 73,
213 A Chesters (Eng) 72 69 72, S Norris (RSA) 72 69 72, H Porteous (RSA) 69 72 72, C Paisley (Eng) 73 68 72, W Ormsby (Aus) 67 69 77,
214 R Jacquelin (Fra) 69 72 73,
215 S Brazel (Aus) 71 70 74, K Kitayama (USA) 71 69 75,
216 S Gallacher (Sco) 68 72 76, C Bezuidenhout (RSA) 67 74 75,
217 M Warren (Sco) 70 71 76, N Bertasio (Ita) 68 71 78,
218 M Southgate (Eng) 71 70 77,
