Daijiworld Media Network - Turin
Turin (Italy), Jun 28: Spain's Eugenio Chacarra produced a superb six-under-par 65 to surge into a two-shot lead after the third round of the 83rd Italian Open at Circolo Golf Torino, putting himself in prime position to capture his second DP World Tour title of the season.
Beginning the day four strokes behind overnight leader Joaquín Niemann, Chacarra handled the challenging afternoon conditions with composure to move to 17-under-par overall. The Spaniard, who won the Hero Indian Open in 2024 and the KLM Open earlier this season, will head into Sunday's final round with momentum as he seeks another victory within three weeks.
India's Yuvraj Singh Sandhu had failed to make the cut earlier in the tournament.
Chacarra made an impressive start by birdieing the opening hole before adding another gain at the seventh. He continued his charge with two more birdies before the turn to complete the front nine in 32 strokes.
Although a bogey at the 13th briefly slowed his progress, the 26-year-old responded strongly by picking up three more birdies on the closing stretch to finish with one of the best rounds of the day among the leading contenders.
Reflecting on his performance, Chacarra said patience had been the key to his success on a course made demanding by changing winds and soaring temperatures.
He noted that the conditions were far from easy and said he was pleased with the way he remained disciplined throughout the round, concentrating only on aspects of the game within his control.
The Spaniard also dismissed any thoughts of monitoring his rivals, saying he preferred to focus entirely on his own game rather than becoming distracted by the performances of those around him.
Despite holding the lead, Chacarra acknowledged that the chasing pack includes several world-class players capable of producing very low scores and said he would stick to the same strategy in the final round.
Overnight leader Joaquín Niemann slipped into a tie for second place after returning an even-par 71 to finish the day at 15-under alongside England's Matt Wallace.
The Chilean appeared to be in complete control after recording five birdies against a single bogey on the outward nine. However, his challenge faltered on the back nine as three consecutive bogeys were followed by another dropped shot at the 15th. A birdie at the 17th briefly revived his round before a closing bogey cost him the outright lead.
Wallace remained firmly in contention after following up his course record-equalling second-round 62 with a four-under 67. The Englishman carded six birdies and two bogeys to draw level with Niemann, setting up a tightly contested final pairing with Chacarra.
Germany's Nicolai von Dellinghausen and Spain's Ángel Ayora shared fourth place at 13-under-par, while South Africa's Dylan Frittelli occupied sixth on 12-under.
Denmark's Jeff Winther, who equalled the course record earlier in the tournament, and Scotland's Richie Ramsay were tied for seventh at 11-under, remaining within striking distance if scoring conditions improve in the final round.
With afternoon thunderstorms forecast, tournament organisers have revised Sunday's schedule and tee times. Chacarra, Niemann and Wallace will play together in the final group as they battle for the prestigious Italian Open title.