Haotong Li (-12) and Eugenio López Chacarra (-12) share the lead at the Volvo China Open with 18 holes to go. They will repeat this Sunday in the star match. Two very different ways to reach that top position. The Chinese player is all about aggressive golf. There is no flag he doesn’t aim for if he is even slightly in position. The Spaniard is the complete opposite. A strategy of damage control. Avoid mistakes and play controlled golf. Each one does what works for them.
Chacarra signed a card of 69 strokes today in the third round of the tournament, with three birdies and a solitary bogey. He has only made three mistakes so far this week. He is the player with the fewest bogeys in his bag over 54 holes, tied with Ashun Wu.
Chacarra has opted for a conservative strategy. The goal is to always be on the fairway and aim for the centre of the green. His putter takes care of the rest, proving lethal in recent times. Today, he sank two long-distance putts on holes 13 and 14 and doesn’t hesitate a bit on all the short ones from two metres and below. He putts as if he only has to push it into the hole.
The Madrid golfer wasn’t as sharp today with his approach shots. He missed more than usual, but almost always on the good side, showing tremendous accuracy around the green. Thus, he is making good progress in pursuit of his second consecutive victory on the DP World Tour. We’ll see if the same strategy works for him tomorrow or if he needs to be more aggressive. It will largely depend on what others do, especially Haotong Li, Aphirbarnrat (-11), Tapio Pulkkanen (-10), Yannik Paul (-10), and Zecheng Dou (-10). Of those four pursuers, the first three are also very aggressive, while Dou is more inclined to follow Chacarra’s plan.
Beyond the bogey on the 12th, after missing his shot to the long bunker and leaving the recovery very short, the only significant problem Eugenio had in his round came on the 18th, with the drive. Just like yesterday, he went into the bushes on the right. As happened on Friday, he was fortunate to find the ball. That mistake could have cost him dearly, even the lead. The Chinese player Li also had the same luck, ending up in the same area and finding his ball.
The Volvo China Open will witness an exciting final battle for victory this Sunday, with six players separated by just two strokes. We’ll see if anyone else can come from behind and cause a scare. There are Jordan Smith (-9), Zhengkai Bai (-8), or Ashun Wu (-8).
Another player who has left a small window open is Joel Moscatel (-7). It’s challenging because he is five strokes behind with nine golfers ahead, but if he manages to close the tournament with the best round of the day this Sunday, he could still give himself a chance. The Spanish golfer has posted another great result today with 67 strokes. That’s two very good consecutive days: 68 and 67 strokes. It’s the first time this season he has linked two such low rounds in a row. Only the stretch from 13 to 18 in the first round keeps him far from the lead. He will have a chance this Sunday not only to win but also to achieve a result that allows him to advance his 2025 goals significantly.
It hasn’t been a bad moving day for the Spaniards. Ángel Ayora (-3) and Alex del Rey (-3) still have a license to dream of the top 10. The player from Málaga signed a very good card of 68 strokes without bogeys. Also, Rafa Cabrera Bello (-1) and Nacho Elvira (-1) will have their chance to finish among the top ten if they post a great round of golf tomorrow. Pablo Larrazábal (+1) and Ángel Hidalgo (+3) have fallen further behind.
