Rory McIlroy moved a step closer to securing a seventh Race to Dubai crown after a late surge of birdies lifted him into a share of the lead on Saturday at the DP World Tour Championship.
The defending champion, aiming to top the season-long standings for a fourth consecutive year, closed with a four-under-par 68 to finish at 13 under alongside Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who matched his score.
A tightly bunched leaderboard sits directly behind the leading pair, with six players – including Rasmus Højgaard, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick– sharing third at 12 under.
Ryder Cup teammates Ludvig Åberg and Justin Rose, along with Nicolai Højgaard, are tied for ninth at 11 under.
With Marco Penge nine strokes back in a tie for 36th, only Hatton retains a mathematical chance of denying McIlroy another year-end honours sweep. Hatton must win the tournament and hope McIlroy finishes outside the top eight to overhaul the world No 2.
South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence (10 under, T12), Jayden Schaper (eight under, T18) and Jacques Kruyswijk (five under, T30) and posted rounds of 68, 67 and 70 respectively.
McIlroy elevated himself from the crowded pack thanks to three birdies across the final five holes after grappling with inconsistent putting earlier in the round.
“The last two days were battles,” McIlroy said. “I gave myself plenty of chances, but the putter wasn’t really cooperating.
“A lot of guys are finding the greens tough to read – by the end of the day they get a little crusty.
“But I stayed patient. I knew there were chances on the way in – the two par fives and the short par-four 15th – and with my length, I should take advantage. That made the difference today.”
He added that after finishing 16 under in Abu Dhabi last week, a strong close to the DP World Tour season remained his priority.
“Maybe I haven’t played my best but I’ve kept myself right in contention. One last push tomorrow.”
Neergaard-Petersen Sets Up ‘Special’ Sunday with McIlroy
Neergaard-Petersen began with a bogey at the 1st but recovered with five birdies to secure his place in the final group on Sunday.
“Super pleased,” the 26-year-old said. “I stayed patient after the start and hit a lot of good shots. I’m so excited to play with Rory tomorrow. I’ve never played with him, and to do it here in the final group on Sunday is going to be pretty special.”
Hatton, who carded a 67 with seven birdies to remain in contention, acknowledged the stakes.
“Today’s round has given me a chance. I’ll try to put another good one together and see what happens.”
The DP World Tour Championship offers the richest purse on the European circuit at $10-million, with an additional $6-million bonus pool for the top 10 players in the Race to Dubai.
Should McIlroy triumph in both the tournament and the season standings, his earnings would total $5-million.
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– AFP
Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Article Link: McIlroy shares lead with Race to Dubai title in sight