Ras Al Khaimah, Jan 26 (IANS): Veer Ahlawat slipped down the leaderboard on a rather eventful day when he had five birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey for a 1-over 73 in the third round of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship. He was 5-over for 54 holes and lying T-36th.

India’s other challenger in the event, Shubhankar Sharma had earlier missed the cut.

Ahlawat, playing his second event after securing playing rights on the DP World Tour by topping the Indian PGTI Tour Order of Merit, was lying T-15 after two rounds of 70-69. He opened his third with a birdie but dropped shots on the next two holes which were followed by a par.

A birdie on the fifth was followed by a bogey and then another birdie on the eighth as he turned in even par with three birdies, three bogeys and three pars. On the tenth, he shot a double and then came five pars. Birdies on the 16th and the 18th had a bogey in between for a 73.

Spain’s Alejandro del Rey showed some sharp short game as he moved into a two-stroke lead over Marcus Armitage. Del Rey started the day two shots behind Armitage but flipped the advantage with a sizzling round of 66 to move two clear on 16 under par, setting up an intriguing final-day battle as the duo pulled clear of the chasing pack.

Armitage (70) was second at 14-under to Del Rey’s 16-under.

Everything points towards a two-horse race for the Ras Al Khaimah Championship Australia’s Jason Scrivener (65), was at nine under with South Africa’s Shaun Norris and Frenchman David Ravetto in a tie for third.