Pranavi Urs posted her third successive under-par round at The K Club, while Casandra Alexander retained a three-shot lead ahead of Sunday’s finale.

Pranavi Urs remained within striking distance of the top 10 after a third-round 70 left her tied for 15th at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.

The Mysuru professional reached 7-under for the tournament following rounds of 69, 70 and 70 on the Palmer South Course at The K Club. She was the only Indian to make the cut, with Diksha Dagar, Tvesa Malik and Avani Prashanth exiting at the halfway stage.

Urs made a fast start in testing, rain-affected conditions, recording consecutive birdies at the second and third. Back-to-back bogeys at the fourth and fifth erased those gains, but she responded with birdies at the seventh and 10th before closing with eight straight pars.

South Africa’s Casandra Alexander remained on course for a wire-to-wire victory after a 3-under 69 moved her to 18-under, three strokes clear of Sara Kouskova.

Alexander reached the turn in 33 before play was suspended for 45 minutes because of heavy rain. She returned with six consecutive pars, added a birdie at the 16th and dropped a shot at the par-three 17th.

The 27-year-old, who leads the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit, will seek her second LET title following her breakthrough at the 2025 Tipsport Czech Ladies Open.

Kouskova strengthened her challenge with a bogey-free 67, featuring three birdies and an eagle at the par-five seventh, to reach 15-under.

Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjall produced one of the rounds of the week, recording eight birdies and an eagle in a 9-under 63 to move back into contention. Home favourite Leona Maguire matched that score with nine birdies, giving the Irish galleries further reason to celebrate.

Neither 63 will count as an official course record because preferred lies were in operation. Urs will enter the final round aiming to close the four-shot gap separating her from the 11-under mark.

Photo – LET