India’s Shubhankar Sharma endured a testing mid-round disaster to salvage the day with a two-over 74 that stored him within the hunt for his first DP World Tour title since 2018.

Sharma, who led after the primary spherical and co-led after the second, dropped to T-4 at 10-under with a birdie on the final gap.

He trailed the chief Hurly Long of Germany by three pictures with midway co-leader Jordan Smith (73) in second at 12-under and four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy (66) in third at 11-under.

India’s different challenger this week, Manu Gandas missed the reduce.

Sharma shared the fourth spot with Kiwi Ryan Fox (66), Frenchman Julien Brun (69), Scottish pair of Grant Forrest (69) and Calum Hill (72) and England’s Ross Fisher (74).

Sharma, beginning the day within the last group and at 13-under, opened with 5 pars earlier than he dropped a double bogey on the Par-4 sixth. Another bogey adopted on the eighth and he turned in 3-over with no birdies.

On the again 9, the two-time DPWT winner, who logged the all-time consequence by an Indian on the Open in July at T-8, fought again. He birdied the tenth, earlier than giving freely two shot on the twelfth and the thirteenth. He birdied the seventeenth and closed at 74.

Long will take a one stroke lead into the ultimate spherical with previous champion and World Number Two Rory McIlroy simply two pictures again.

Long, of Germany, carded a two beneath par spherical of 70 on the Palmer North Course on the 2006 Ryder Cup venue, with a birdie on the final taking him to 13 beneath par, one stroke forward of England’s Jordan Smith, who additionally birdied the 18th to signal for a one-over par 73.

Four-time Major Champion McIlroy began the day eight strokes off the tempo however carded a six beneath par 66 to put up an early clubhouse goal of 11 beneath par at The Ok Club, the identical venue the place he claimed a well-known Irish Open victory in 2016.

McIlroy will go looking for a 3rd victory on the 2023 Race to Dubai, with Long in search of a maiden title and Smith searching a 3rd DP World Tour crown, following on from his win finally yr’s Portugal Masters. McIlroy earlier gained the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Genesis Scottish Open.

Three-time DP World Tour winner Ryan Fox matched McIlroy’s six beneath par 66 to maneuver right into a share of fourth place.

Shane Lowry is considered one of numerous opponents on eight beneath after signing for a stage par 72.