Matt Wallace – Getty Images; Shubhankar Sharma – File Pic
St. Andrews, Scotland, Oct 18: After two good days, SSP Chawrasia had a disappointing day at the 2020 Scottish Championship presented by AXA, as he slipped to 4-over 76 on a day he had hoped to move forward. Instead he dropped to T-51 from T-18 at Fairmont St Andrews.
Shubhankar Sharma 4-under through 13 holes gave away a lot of his gains in four holes between 14th and 17th and shot 2-under 70 and got to 3-under and rose to T-43.
Matt Wallace carded a brilliant bogey free 66 to open up a three-shot lead heading into the final round. The Englishman, who won three times in 2018, including in India at the Hero Indian Open, has not once since, but rose to as high 23rd on world rankings, had four birdies and an eagle to get to 18 under. He could have been further ahead had he holed a few other chances from inside 15 feet.
Chawrasia, who had 69-69 in the first two rounds, never really got going as he dropped a double bogey on fifth and then bogeys on eighth and ninth. He turned in 4-over. His first birdie of the day came on 12th, but he gave it back on the very next hole. He again birdied 15th, only to hand back that gain on 16th.
Sharma had just one birdie in his first 10 holes, but no bogeys. He hit a purple patch with three birdies in a row from 11th to 13th, but went to the other extreme handing in bogeys on 14th, 16th and 17th as he went through a stretch of seven holes with four birdies and three bogeys and no pars and finished with 70.
Wallace’s fellow Englishman Countryman Garrick Porteous (66) was the closest at 15-under, while Spaniard Adrian Otaegui (70) was 14 under and American Sean Crocker (67) was fourth at 13-under.
Wallace has dropped just one shot so far this week and feels he is in total control of his game after finishing round three with two birdies, including a spectacular holed bunker shot on the 17th. “I enjoyed it a lot,” said Wallace.
The 30-year-old who is known for showing his emotions on the golf course, added, “Especially the end there, to finish the way I did was really nice. It’s probably the best I’ve ever handled myself.”
Crocker had a roller coaster day, eagling the seventh and making seven birdies but also dropping four shots in a 67.
Eddie Pepperell at 12-under was Tied-5th, while Scottish Open winner, Aaron Rai had a rough back nine with two bogeys and a double and his 72 saw him at 11-under and in Tied-8th.
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