Eugenio Chacarra moved into a commanding four-shot lead after round three of the Hero Indian Open, closing with a 2-under 70 to reach 10-under.
The defending champion now leads Alex Fitzpatrick and MJ Daffue, who are tied second at 6-under heading into the final round.
David Law and first-round leader Freddy Schott share fourth place at 5-under, the only others within touching distance.
Om Prakash Chouhan remains the top Indian at 1-over, placed tied 20th with one round to play.
Chacarra’s round was built on a strong finish to the front nine, where three consecutive birdies gave him control. Despite two bogeys on the back nine, he added another birdie to maintain a healthy cushion.
Can @Eugeniochacarra make history by becoming the first player since SSP Chawrasia (2016 & 2017) to successfully defend the #HeroIndianOpen title? pic.twitter.com/nM7hfEexxV
— Dead Solid Perfect🎙️ (@Deadsolidp) March 28, 2026
Earlier in the day, Akshay Bhatia missed the cut after a late bogey while completing his second round on Saturday morning.
Among the Indians who made the weekend, Manoj S is tied 54th at 6-over, while Kshitij Naveed Kaul sits further back at 9-over after squeezing through the cut.
Chouhan’s round saw steady recovery after a mid-round slump, mixing birdies with costly dropped shots to stay inside the top 20.
Chacarra now stands on the brink of history. A win on Sunday would make him just the fourth player to successfully defend the Hero Indian Open title.
With a four-shot cushion on one of the toughest courses on tour, the Spaniard holds control — but DLF has a habit of changing scripts quickly.
Photo – HeroMotocorp
Story – Anand Krishnaswamy
