Kuumar Shyam (Dubai)
Steady and solid held Rory McIlroy in good books as he put himself in position to secure a possible end-of-season double at the DP World Tour Championship.
After three days of action, the Race to Dubai rankings leader ended still in joint lead on the leaderboard, where Rasmus Hojgaard and Antoine Rozner pose the most serious threat to McIlroy's aspirations after a day which did not see any big moves.
The world No.3 McIlroy has experience holding his nerve at the venue as he is also chasing a third title on the Earth course. It will be his fourth title in the year, too, before he turns up afresh in 2025 with a curtailed schedule in response to exhaustion.
The Northern Irishman should have no problems willing up for one more day of scraping at the course with the slight momentum gained from the start of the third day's action, one shot behind overnight leader Rozner. "It was windy, and a bit more trickier on the course," said McIlroy, "so considering that, being in joint lead is fairly ok. But I was disappointed with my game in the last five holes."
Earlier, Hojgaard had surged clear at the top after four straight birdies from the second. The Dane climbed to 12 under to move three clear at the eighth, however, McIlroy carded four birdies and a dropped shot in a six-hole stretch from the seventh to sit alongside Hojgaard at the summit.
Both players missed chances to nudge in front and could not be separated as they parred their way home, with Rozner carding an eagle at the last to make it a three-way tie at the top ahead of the final round of the 2024 DP World Tour campaign.
Victory for Rozner could also see the Frenchman climb as high as second on the Race to Dubai and secure dual membership with the PGA Tour. Hojgaard also survived a scare by willing himself back after two drop shots from a wayward approach to the par-5 18th.
Hojgaard, a big-hitter with the driver, tried to cross a water canal hazard almost at the halfway point of the fairway, but the ball just lipped in. A drop shot and he again put in too much power in his next that it hit the grandstands past the 18th green and bounced back in close to the wall. He did well to two-putt it from there. "There is only hole where one can hit straight and I managed to get it wrong, but I am happy with my game and hopefully I can go all the way tomorrow," said the Dane.
Chile's Joaquin Niemann mixed five birdies and two bogeys and Swede Jesper Svensson was flawless in his 68 to sit in fourth at 10-under, while Englishman Tyrrell Hatton is one shot further back in sixth. Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin carded a 67 to join Japan's Keita Nakajima at eight under.
“I am tied for the lead going out on a golf course that I really like and that I've had success on before. It's a great opportunity to end the year on a really high note. Hopefully, I'm able to stand on that 18th green with both trophies," said McIlroy, while signing off on the card.