Rory McIlroy remains on course to complete a ‘Dubai Double’ of the DP World Tour Championship and Race to Dubai glory after taking the lead at the final round of the season.
McIlroy birdied three of the last five holes to shoot a four-under par 68 at Jumeirah Golf Estates, taking the Northern Irishman to 13 under par alongside Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.
The world No. 2 is the defending champion and is seeking his fourth win in the DP World Tour season finale, while McIlroy also closes in on securing his seventh and fourth consecutive Race to Dubai title.
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After missing a close putt for a birdie-birdie start, McIlroy three-putted for par on a par-5 second.
Tyrrell Hatton remains the only player who can catch him all season, with McIlroy needing a win and a finish outside the top eight, with the Briton still in the title hunt after a third-round 67 lifted him into third place.
Ryder Cup teammates Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Rasmus Hojgaard are also among the leaders along with Laurie Canter and Angel Ayora, and there is a crowded leaderboard heading into an exciting final day with 16 players separated by three shots.
McIlroy shares the lead after an eventful day in Dubai.
Nicolai Hojgaard saw his three-shot middle advantage disappear when he made his first bogey and water fell off the tee at the par-3 sixth hole, leading to a double bogey as multiple players traded top spots in an eventful third round.
England’s John Parry took the lead with an eagle and three birdies in the first seven holes, Canter made consecutive gains on the sixth hole to reach 12 under par and Rasmus Hojgaard was also in contention despite starting again on the seventh hole.
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British golfer Matt Fitzpatrick holes out from the fifth fairway over 130 yards to find eagle in his third round.
Hojgaard had three birdies over four holes, starting at No. 12, en route to setting a clubhouse goal of a bogey-free 65, while Fitzpatrick, Alex Noren and Ayora also climbed increasingly to the top of the leaderboard.
Ayora birdied the 16th to take the lead, but a bogey on the final par 5 briefly tied the score at 8, while Neergaard-Petersen, who had bogeyed the opening hole of the day, recorded three birdies on the next hole, the 9th, to reach 13 under par.
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Alex Noren confidently holed the ball for birdie on the par-5 14th hole.
Neergaard-Petersen closed the round with back-to-back pars to share the lead through 54 holes for the first time in her DP World Tour career, while McIlroy moved on with the Dane and left late to go for his fifth world title of the season.
McIlroy (starting three back) birdied the first but made par on his next putt after missing from inside 3 feet, and the 36-year-old bogeyed the par-3 fourth for the second time this week after wasting another good birdie opportunity.
McIlroy played alongside Daniel Hillier, who shot a level par 72 to remain at 9 under par.
He had a two-putt birdie on the par-5 seventh, but didn’t add to his score until a straight gain on the 14th. McIlroy then rolled in from 8 feet (his longest putt of the day) and held his shot on the final par 5 to finish at 13 under par.
Overnight leader Hojgaard was two back with Justin Rose and Ludvig Åberg, while Shane Lowry and Robert MacIntyre were tied for 10th, three shots behind. Marco Penge, the player closest to McIlroy in the Race to Dubai rankings, finished tied for 36th despite shooting a 4-under 68.
McIlroy counterattacks after 3 putts in the beginning
Rory McIlroy (13 under par, tied for 1st place): “After that (3-putt par on the second hole), especially on the next few greens, I allowed it to affect me a little bit, but I was really patient and took a lot of chances.
“I wasn’t holding on too much but I knew there were going to be a few opportunities and it was good to take advantage of them. So overall it was a bit of a battle. The conditions were tricky enough but I was happy to shoot the goals I did.
“I’m in a better position than (Hatton). I’m focused on myself. If I go out and play the golf I know I can play, I know I’ll be fine, especially around this golf course.”
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As McIlroy closes his seventh Race to Dubai success, Europe’s Ryder Cup stars explain what being a Grand Slam champion means to the sport.
Rasmus Niergard-Peterson (13 under par, tied for 1st place): “I’m very happy. I was able to be really patient after obviously not getting off to the best start, but I felt like I hit a lot of good shots from there and gave myself a lot of opportunities.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. I’ve never played against him (McIlroy) as a professional before and to play here in the final group on Sunday is pretty special.”
Who will win the Race to Dubai? Watch the final round of the DP World Tour Championship live on Sky Sports Golf from 6.30am on Sunday. Stream DP World Tour and more without a contract.
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