Chacarra leads after Nakajima slips

The allure of golf Majors is about getting the world's elite to confront the challenges thrown up by the courses.

- N Ananthanarayanan

GURUGRAM: If the US Open championship invariably places a premium on driving accuracy, the Augusta Masters next week will be about showing imagination with the approach shots and on the green.

Japan's Keita Nakajima, aspiring to soon join the ranks of the PGA Tour regulars by defending his title at the $2.25 million Hero Indian Open here, found out on Saturday that imaginative shots on the hard greens of the DLF Golf and Country course can leave one rather frustrated. Day 3 is meant to be the moving day, but it was a toiling day for all players.

The 24-year-old, overnight 4-under par to be tied for the lead with young Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra, had been a picture of patience and steady play with pars on the first 14 holes.

The Japanese had dazzled with seven birdies in his first nine holes on Friday. He didn't gain a shot heading to the tee for the par-5 15th, which saw him enjoy a two-stroke lead until then the rest stumbled one after the other.

The closest among the chasing pack were missing mid-range putts, rolled with a touch of anxiety lacking trust of the line. They invariably changed direction inches from the pin.

Now for the imagination part. Nakajima's third shot on 15th had settled on the other end of the green.

With about 30 feet for what would have been a sensational birdie, the ridge made Nakajima bring it back to the pin from the top of the green.

It didn't miss the hole by much, but rolled away, leaving him with a 10-footer to salvage par. The man who had been brilliant around the green this week missed, dropping his first shot after 14 holes.