File photo of Anirban Lahiri.
A tired Anirban Lahiri endured a wild ride in the third round of The Northern Trust, compiling a level par 71 to drop to T-60th from overnight T-38th. The Indian golfer will have a lot of work to do to get into the Top-10 for a place in next week's BMW Championship in the FedExCup Playoffs.
Meanwhile, Shiv Kapur fell down the leaderboard after a disappointing 4-over 76 on the third day of the D+D REAL Czech Masters.
Lahiri, who admitted to feeling fatigue at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, mixed his card with six birdies, including four over his last six holes, four bogeys and one double bogey. At 4-under 209, the 34-year-old Indian was eighth shots off a possible Top-10.
Cameron Smith (60) and Jon Rahm (67) shared the third round lead on 16-under in the first of three Playoffs events. Smith recorded a career-low 18-hole score and set the Liberty National course record with a 60 and entered the final round tied for the lead with Rahm.
The World No. 1 Rahm held at least a share of the lead for the third consecutive round. Lahiri chose to look at the positives as the tournament's decision to postpone the final round to Monday due to an impending hurricane will allow him to rest up and prepare for a do-or-die final round.
With a Tropical Storm Warning, the organisers announced there will be no play on Sunday and the final round will be held on Monday.
"Barring a 62 on Monday, I probably will have a few weeks off. I'll have to try and get a 62 and get some rest in. Pleased that we've got tomorrow (Sunday) off and I'm not going to be on any treadmill or bicycle. I'm just going to rest and come out Monday, and try to shoot a low one," said Lahiri.
Lahiri parred the first four holes, but after that he had just two more in the next 14. After making birdies on Hole Nos. 5 and 6 from four feet and 17 feet, Lahiri gave away the shots in the next two holes. He bogeyed 10 and doubled the 12th to fall to 3-over for the day before summing up his energy to produce four late birdies against a fourth bogey.
Talking of a Top-10 which will be difficult, he said, "If it doesn't, it is still all good. I am happy with the way I am playing. It's unfortunate that I am at a stage where physically, I'm a little limited and inhibited. I'll try to deal with it and enjoy myself out there despite everything."
"It's been the story of the last two days. I've been playing really good, playing solid to start, missed a few makeable opportunities and finally made a couple."
Lahiri said he is on "the verge of exhaustion right now" and his "body is unable to cope with everything that has gone on in the past two months."
"Safe to say, I had a five or six hole period where I was trying to hit shots and my body just said no and I got into some bad spots. It's not often I make a double from 110 yards from the middle of the fairway which I did on 12."
KAPUR SUFFERS TWO BOGEYS AND DOUBLE BOGEY
Kapur, who opened the week with encouraging 70-70 suffered two bogeys and a double bogey and is now tied 54th.
India's other stars SSP Chawrasia and Ajeetesh Sandhu had already missed the cut.
Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen will take a two-stroke lead into the final round.
The Finn, who was European Challenge Tour Number One in 2017, carded a six under par round of 66 at Albatross Golf Resort to move to 13 under par.
He was two shots clear of Americans Sean Crocker and Johannes Veerman and 2016 Open Champion Henrik Stenson.
Like Pulkkanen, the Americans Crocker and Veerman are also in search of their first European Tour victories, while Stenson will bid for his 12th title and first win since claiming his maiden Major Championship at Royal Troon five years ago.
Paul Peterson, winner of this event in 2016, makes up the top five on ten under par after his four under round of 68.
Due to the threat of thunderstorms in the Czech capital on Sunday afternoon, the final round of the D+D REAL Czech Masters will be a two-tee start U-draw, beginning at 07:00 local time.
