Belfry (England), August 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Shubhankar Sharma slipped down the leaderboard at the Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo after carding an even-par 72 in the third round at The Belfry on Saturday.
The Indian golfer, who had enjoyed two solid opening rounds, finished the day with four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. His three-round total of four-under 212 left him tied for 33rd, dropping from 13th at the halfway stage.
Sharma, 29, made two birdies on each side of his round but was unable to maintain the momentum of his opening 36 holes.
At the top of the leaderboard, Marco Penge and Daniel Hillier shared the lead heading into the final round. The weather had disrupted proceedings throughout the week at The Belfry, although there were no delays on Saturday as the second round was completed and the leading group progressed into the third.
Penge and Hillier began the third round level at 11-under after completing the remaining holes of their second rounds early on Saturday morning. Penge had taken a one-shot advantage after 36 holes after dropping a shot over his final four holes, while Hillier completed his stretch in level par.
The leading pair returned at 7 a.m. to tackle 30 holes, with play halted by fading light while both were looking at birdie putts on the sixth green. Penge was 23 feet from the hole, while Hillier’s putt was from 10 feet.
Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin was one shot behind after completing the sixth hole. Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti and South Africa’s Shaun Norris were at nine-under while playing the eighth and sixth holes respectively.
When Penge and Hillier resumed their third round at 6:31 p.m., Penge quickly extended his lead to two shots by holing an 18-footer on the first. However, the advantage disappeared on the next hole after he went over the green and failed to save par.
Hillier then moved ahead after putting his approach close and making a two-putt birdie on the par-five, while Penge found the water but salvaged par.
Penge levelled the contest again on the fourth with an approach to tap-in range. Both players parred the fifth before the hooter sounded as darkness brought an end to play in the Midlands.
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