Rory McIlroy stays on the right track to finish the ‘Dubai double’ of DP World Tour Championship and Race to Dubai glory after taking a share of the lead into the ultimate spherical of the season.
McIlroy struggled on the greens earlier than birdieing three of his final 5 holes to submit a four-under 68 at Jumeirah Golf Estates, lifting the Northern Irishman to 13 underneath alongside Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
The world No 2 is defending champion and trying to win the DP World Tour’s season finale for a fourth time, with McIlroy additionally closing on securing the Race to Dubai title for a seventh time and fourth successive 12 months.
Tyrrell Hatton stays the one participant probably capable of overtake him within the season-long standings, requiring a victory and McIlroy to complete outdoors of the highest eight, with the Englishman nonetheless within the title hunt after a third-round 67 lifted him right into a share of third.
Ryder Cup team-mates Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Rasmus Hojgaard are additionally inside one of many lead, together with Laurie Canter and Angel Ayora, with a congested leaderboard seeing 16 gamers separated by three photographs heading into an intriguing remaining day.
McIlroy shares lead after eventful day in Dubai
Nicolai Hojgaard noticed his three-shot midway benefit disappear when he bogeyed the primary and located water off the tee on the par-three sixth, resulting in a double-bogey, as a number of gamers exchanged high spot throughout an eventful third spherical.
England’s John Parry grabbed a share of the lead after an eagle and three birdies in his first seven holes, whereas Canter moved into the solo benefit following successive features from the sixth took him to 12 underneath, with Rasmus Hojgaard additionally in rivalry regardless of beginning the day seven again.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
English golfer Matt Fitzpatrick holes out from the fifth fairway – from over 130 yards – to search out an eagle throughout his third spherical
Hojgaard made three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the twelfth on his technique to setting the clubhouse goal with a bogey-free 65, with Fitzpatrick, Alex Noren and Ayora additionally attending to the highest of an more and more bunched leaderboard.
Ayora birdied the sixteenth to edge forward however briefly made it an eight-way tie when he bogeyed the par-five final, with Neergaard-Petersen – who bogeyed his opening gap of the day – the subsequent to get to 13 underneath when he made three birdies in 5 holes on his again 9.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Alex Noren very confidently walked the ball into the outlet for a birdie on the par-five 14th
Neergaard-Petersen closed out his spherical with successive pars to seize the primary 54-hole co-lead of his DP World Tour profession, whereas McIlroy left it late to maneuver alongside the Dane and problem for a fifth worldwide victory of the season.
McIlroy – beginning three again – birdied the primary however three-putted the subsequent for par after lacking from inside three ft, with the 36-year-old squandering one other good birdie probability on the subsequent after which bogeying the par-three fourth for the second time this week.
McIlroy performed alongside Daniel Hillier, who posted a level-par 72 to stay on 9 underneath
He made a two-putt birdie on the par-five seventh however did not add to his tally till back-to-back features from the 14th, with McIlroy then rolling in from eight ft – his longest putt of the day – to choose up a shot on the par-five final and get to 13 underneath.
In a single day chief Hojgaard is 2 again alongside Justin Rose and Ludvig Åberg, with Shane Lowry and Robert MacIntyre three strokes behind in tied-Tenth, whereas Marco Penge – the closest participant to McIlroy within the Race to Dubai standings – is tied-Thirty sixth regardless of a four-under 68.
McIlroy battles again after early three-putt
Rory McIlroy (13 underneath, tied-first): “After that [three-putt par at the second], I sort of let that affect me a little bit, especially on the greens for the next few holes. But I stayed really patient, gave myself plenty of opportunities.
“Didn’t hole that much, but I knew there was a few chances coming in. It was nice to take advantage of those. So overall, a bit of a battling day. The conditions were tricky enough, but happy to shoot the score that I did.
“I am in a greater place than [Hatton]. I am centered on myself. If I’m going out and play the golf that I do know I am able to, particularly round this golf course, I do know that it will likely be okay.”
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
As McIlroy closes in on a seventh Race to Dubai success, Europe’s Ryder Cup stars clarify what the Grand Slam champion means to the game
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (13 underneath, tied-first): “Super pleased. I managed to stay really patient after obviously not getting off to the best of starts, but from there I feel like I hit a lot of good shots and gave myself a lot of chances,
“I am unable to look forward to tomorrow. I have not performed with him [McIlroy] but as an expert or ever, and to do it right here within the remaining group on a Sunday is doing to be fairly particular.”
Who will win the Race to Dubai? Watch the final round of the DP World Tour Championship live on Sunday from 6.30am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the DP World Tour and extra with no contract.
Get the perfect costs and guide a spherical at considered one of 1,700 programs throughout the UK & Eire
