<p>Tyrrell Hatton. Picture: Getty Images</p>
Rory McIlroy was stern-faced as he ignored requests for high-fives, walking off the 18th after carding a decidedly ragged level par 72 that seriously compromised his bid for an eighth Race to Dubai title in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
Even after hitting a stunning tee shot and a laser-like mid-iron to eight feet at the par-five last, the Masters champion was in no mood for smiles as the putt slipped past the edge and he heads into the final round with his work cut out to stop Eugenio Chacarra becoming European number one.
Winning the tournament would allow McIlroy to match Colin Montgomerie's haul of eight Order of Merit wins, no matter what Chacarra does.
But that will be easier said than done after the Holywood star struggled from the tee and followed an eagle three at the seventh with three bogeys in a row.
As playing partner Tyrrell Hatton cruised to a 68 to lead by a shot from Victor Perez on nine-under, McIlroy followed a birdie at the 14th with another bogey at the 15th on foot of another poor tee shot.
His closing birdie at least allowed him to tie for fourth on five-under with the demonstrative Chacarra, who made nine birdies (and four in his last six holes) to shoot 68.
The permutations say that McIlroy can still finish solo second, as long as Chacarra finishes third or worse, and still win the Race to Dubai.
But he will need to drive the ball better than he did on moving day, when he struggled with a hook.
Paul McGinley is a long-time McIlroy observer, and while he knows the six-time Major winner is capable of coming from behind at a course where he's won three times, he sounded somewhat concerned.
"McIlroy's driving was poor," McGinley said on Sky Sports. "He's then guarding against the hook, and you end up hitting a number of blocks as well, and you get a two-way miss in play.
"It started on eight, having made an eagle on seven, playing the hole brilliantly, you think: 'Here he goes!' That led to a bogey.
"Standing up on the next hole, this was another missed tee shot. It was up the left-hand side and this is the root of the problem.
"It's a fix that happens throughout his career; he hits hooks, and when he hits hooks, he has a problem. Too much of a drop to the inside, and his swing becomes too much in-to-out."
McIlroy famously corrected this error after the third round at Augusta this year and went on to retain his Masters title.
" He will reset overnight, and I expect a better Rory coming out tomorrow," McGiney said. "And if he can hit fairways, I think the rest of the game will be in good shape."
There was no post-round TV chat with McIlroy, but the Race to Dubai leader Chacarra was upbeat and ready to talk after another rollercoaster round that clearly caught McIlroy's attention.
"It's been a grind," he said. "I've been fighting. I've played all year on the DP World Tour, I've played a lot, and I want to really win that ranking.
"So I want to show the world I'm capable of playing under pressure, and I think so far I've been doing that."
Like McIlroy, he knows that winning avoids the need to worry about what anyone else is doing,
"I just want to win the tournament," he said. "I'm not far away… I know if I win the tournament, I win the ranking.
"That's what we prepare for, and I'm going to have a chance on Sunday. That's what we've dreamed of since I was little: to win big events on Sunday, and I'm going to have a chance."
Jon Rahm also needs to win to have a chance, but he four-putted from eight feet for a double bogey at the 16th and has his work cut out for him to close a six-shot gap on Hatton.
Two of the former LIV Golf star's eight DP World Tour wins have come in the desert, and after twice finishing second at Jumeirah Golf Estates, he feels ready to complete the job.
"I know tomorrow is going to be a tough day," Hatton said. "I've got enough experience down these last few holes to know that anything can happen."
Sweden's Mikael Lindberg sits alone in third, three shots off the pace, with McIlroy and Chacarra tied for fourth with Adam Scott and Francesco Laporta.
McIlroy will go out with Dan Bradbury, 30 minutes before Hatton and Perez, and have a chance to put pressure on Chacarra, who will be in the group behind.
Meanwhile, Séamus Power's PGA Tour season has ended prematurely after he opted not to enter next week's final-counting RSM Classic.
The West Waterford man withdrew after carding an opening 73 in the Austin Championship on Thursday.
"I irritated the hip and didn't want to push it or risk it, to be honest, but nothing too major, thankfully." Power said at the time.
On the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire's three-over-73 left her ten strokes behind Carlota Ciganda, Lindy Duncan and Hye-Jin Choi heading into the third round of the Annika in Florida.
Lauren Walsh also shot 73 to miss the cut, ending her rookie LPGA season with her card secure for 2027.
On the LETAS, Beth Coulter’s hopes of winning her LET card via the top-7 in the rankings suffered a reverse in Spain.
She finished tied for 32nd in the Santander Golf Tour - Girona and fell from 10th to 13th in the Order of Merit with just the Islantilla Open remaining.
She’s already guaranteed a place at the Final Stage of Q-School in December.
Article Link: McIlroy slips back as Hatton takes control in Dubai - News - Irish Golf Desk