Highly rated Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra is hopeful a good run of form on The International Series can help him find a new team and remain on the LIV Golf League, after he underlined his undoubted potential with a sensational eight under 62 in the third round of the Link Hong Kong Open.
The 24-year-old just made it into the weekend on the cut line and things might have looked bleak when he opened with a bogey.
Three birdies in a row from two, and another on eight had him back on track. A run of four from 12 and another on 17 capped an excellent day.
Chacarra was obviously delighted, but felt things could have been even better. He said: "l knew my game was there, it was just a case of trying not to try too hard, like on the first two days. One shot at a time. It was a good day, and it could have gone so low with this one - I hit a lot of good putts, 11 lipped out and also 16 and 18. It was a good day."
The round left Chacarra on -10, seven shots behind clubhouse leader Patrick Reed after the LIV Golf star's sensational 59 later in the day. It was a big lift for the Spaniard, after confirming he has parted company with Fireballs GC after finishing 39th this season.
Chacarra, who has won before on The International Series with a thrilling play-off victory over Stinger GC rival Matt Jones from LIV Golf at the St Andrews Bay Championship last season, confirmed he is keeping his options open and searching for a new team.
Similar performances in the final round will do his chances no harm.
After the final round in Hong Kong, he goes on to play International Series Qatar and the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers in the next two weeks, the remaining tournaments that will settle the rankings race, giving the champion a spot on the LIV Golf League and opening up 32 spots on the LIV Golf Promotions event.
Chacarra, who also won the LIV Golf Bangkok Invitational in 2022, in only his fifth professional start, said: "My contract is up and I am out of Fireballs, but there are other teams and my agent is talking and helping me through, and I know I have a couple meetings in Saudi, so will hopefully find out more there."
Chacarra managed a T10 in Singapore and a T12 in Andalucia among a handful of impressive performances for Sergio Garcia's team this season. The former Oklahoma State player is confident he will be back to his best next season, now he has overcome the painful hip injury that has been troubling him since leaving college.
He said: "I played the first five events this season in pain, and it was hard for me to compete, which was a downer for me - competing against the best in the world injured is very difficult. But after that I have been playing quite solid and everyone out there knows me, and knows I am a solid player and when my puts go in, I go low.
“I think I am a trustful guy and had six good tournaments out of the 13 we play, with five affected by injury. But that's golf, it shows how hard the competition is and how hard LIV Golf is when you are playing some of the best players in the world. “
Chacarra wouldn’t rule out a run on the Asian Tour and The International Series if he doesn’t manage to find a new team during the close season. He said: “I'm happy with the way my game is trending, I'm still only 24 and I know I'll get up there again, whether here (on The International Series and Asian Tour) or LIV Golf or the PGA Tour. It has been a struggle for two years but now I can play again I can compete as much as possible.
“I am grateful it is back to normal; I can now get back in shape and get my game in shape and I'm excited for sure because I love the game of golf and I love to practice and get better and now it is about getting better every day."
The International Series is the most prized pathway in golf. It consists of 10 elite tournaments sanctioned by the Asian Tour and offers the year-long Rankings leader promotion to the LIV Golf League
