Golf sometimes hands players both ends of an emotional spectrum in the same round. Shaun Norris felt exactly that at the $3M Nexo Championship. The two-time DP Tour winner, still chasing his first title outside South Africa, opened this week with rounds of 72 and 69. He sat one shot off the lead through 36 holes at Trump International Golf Links. His third round, however, on Saturday swung from a career highlight to a costly slip, all inside 11 holes.
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Norris arrived at round three of the Nexo Championship already three under for the week. He began his round well and then turned it into something spectacular. After opening his round with a birdie on the first hole, Norris produced an albatross.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he summed up the moment in a single line, “I’m not getting better than that.”
It was a fair assessment. His tee shot found the fairway, leaving him 261 yards to the pin. He struck his approach on the perfect line, watched it carry to the front of the green, and disappeared into the hole for an albatross. His reaction said it all. In fact, it took him a few seconds to process what had happened, and then a grin spread across his face. He celebrated it with his caddie and playing partner, Matthew Southgate. The shot vaulted him to seven under and put him at the top of the leaderboard.
His round kept building from there: birdies on holes 7, 14, and 17. But unfortunately, he bogeyed on the 15th.
Par 4 15th is the fifth toughest hole at the Trump International Golf Links, and it tested him. His ball settled on the edge of the green, requiring him to make a calculated touch rather than power. Even before making the shot, Norris looked frustrated, knowing it was a tough move. He played the shot regardless, but unfortunately, the ball caught the slope and rolled away from the hole instead of settling anywhere near it. Norris looked visibly frustrated as he walked toward the ball.
Despite the bogey, Norris closed his round at 6-under 66 for the day and is currently leading the field.
That said, Norris is 13th in the Race to Dubai standings and has had two runner-up finishes since December 2025. A third DP World Tour title and first away from South African soil would settle both scores at once. He will tee off for round 4 at 11:15 GMT.