Rory McIlroy experienced a challenging day at the DP World India Championship, slipping out of contention as his Race to Dubai rival Eugenio Chacarra took the lead after Saturday's play.

In his pursuit of the Harry Vardon Trophy for an eighth time, which would tie him with Colin Montgomerie, McIlroy struggled significantly during his third round. He recorded four bogeys and a double bogey within an eight-hole stretch, severely impacting his score.

As the tournament progressed:

• Eugenio Chacarra emerged as the frontrunner, leading by one at 10 under par after completing the second round.
• Chacarra continued to shine, adding four birdies in the first seven holes of the third round, bringing his score to 14 under, and placing him 10 shots ahead of McIlroy when play was halted due to bad light.
• Chacarra's nearest challengers included Angel Hidalgo and Joost Luiten, both trailing by two strokes.

McIlroy's day began with promise as he birdied the penultimate hole of his second round and opened his third with another gain. However, he quickly fell into trouble:

• He found thick rough at the third hole and sand at the fourth, leading to back-to-back bogeys.
• A disastrous double bogey at the sixth followed, with his chip barely moving.
• Although he managed to eagle the 14th, he finished the day in a share of 40th place.

Meanwhile, Scott Jamieson from Scotland stood at 11 under, three shots off the lead, while Todd Clements and Tom McKibbin from England and Northern Ireland respectively, ended the day just a shot behind.