India’s Shubhankar Sharma produced only his second under par card of the week, a one-under 70 in the third round to lie tied 54th at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship on Sunday, PTI reported.
The Indian golfer hit nine of 14 fairways and found 13 of 18 greens in regulation to take his total to four-over 217 on day three. Sharma, who was tied-ninth a year ago on his debut, had four birdies against three bogeys.
Dustin Johnson shot five-under 66 despite a double bogey and extended his lead from three to four shots over Rory McIlroy (68). Johnson is now 16-under and McIlroy is 12-under.
Sergio Garcia (69), Patrick Cantlay (65), Patrick Reed (64), and Cameron Smith (68) are tied for 3rd at nine-under.
Two of Sharma’s birdies came on the Par-5s. The first was on the 622-yard par-5 11th hole, where he reached the green in three and holed a huge 28-foot putt for birdie. The other Par-5 birdie was on the 575-yard par-5 15th hole, where he hit an approach shot from 236 yards to 10 feet and holed it.
On the 316-yard par-4 first Sharma hit his tee shot 319 yards to the green and he two-putted for a birdie. On the par-4 eighth, Sharma’s 205 yard approach to 11 feet set himself up for the birdie on the hole. This moved him to one-under for the round.
His bogeys included a three-putt on the 186-yard par-3 third, and he also bogeyed the Par-4 fourth where his second shot went into the right greenside bunker and then he hit to 11 yards to the green from where he two-putted. This moved Sharma to even for the round.
Tiger Woods (70) once came within four shots after Johnson’s double bogey but he had a tough day on the greens.
The worst was after Woods had a 5-iron from the middle of the fairway on the par-5 15th. He went into the bunker and got out to 25 feet and four-putted for a double bogey, with the last three putts from just outside 3 feet.
He followed that with a three-putt bogey on the 16th, and a birdie on the final hole gave him a 70. He had 16 greens in regulation. He is now 10 shots behind Johnson.
