After shooting a superb 65 in the third round of the Dubai World Tour Championship, Rory McIlory set himself up for a Sunday attack.
That left him with a three-shot deficit to John Rahm, who shot a 65 in the third round. England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick is another shot back, while Sweden’s Alex Noren is at 13-under.
Despite dropping two shots in his first three holes, Rory was still able to maintain his lead at 12-under-par. His eagle at the second hole helped him bounce back from his early troubles. His approach shot from a tight lie landed on the right side of the hole.
He started the day with a couple of early pars before making a couple of impressive back-to-back gains to go to even par for the day. His approach shots were both exquisite and left him with tap-in putts.
He started the day with three consecutive birdies, and he added further shots at the 14th and 15th to reach 11-under par.
After finding sand at the 17th hole, his recovery shot went into the cup. The massive cheers from the spectators followed as his putt went in.
His approach shot at the 18th hole came up short, but he made a great chip to set up a tap-in for a closing eagle.
A 71 in the third round left Shane Lowry just outside the top 20. It could have been better for the Irish player, as he was able to make several impressive gains throughout the day. Unfortunately, he dropped shots on his final two holes.