England’s Aaron Rai carded a six-under-par third-round 66 on Saturday to claim a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Rai, who shared the halfway lead with compatriot Tommy Fleetwood at 14 under par, moved clear in ideal scoring conditions. The 30-year-old fired seven birdies, including five on the front nine, with his only blemish of the day coming on the 17th hole.
His third-round 66 moved him to 20 under par, one stroke ahead of Fleetwood and Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard.
“To win this week, to have a chance going into the weekend, is great,” said Rai, who won the Wyndham Championship last year. “Still a long way to go and a lot of really good players. We’ll give it our best and see how it comes.”
Fleetwood, a two-time Abu Dhabi champion, made an eagle and three birdies in his 67, while Hojgaard’s 65 featured eight birdies and one bogey.
Spain’s Nacho Elvira closed with back-to-back birdies to finish a further shot behind on 18 under par.
South Africa’s Richard Sterne slipped to a tie for seventh on four under par after carding a two-under 68, which featured an eagle, four birdies and a bogey.
Compatriot Jayden Schaper produced a five-under 67, highlighted by an eagle, five birdies and two bogeys, to share 26th place.
Ireland’s Rory McIlroy sits six shots off the lead after a third-round 66, one behind Ryder Cup teammate Shane Lowry. The world No 2, who opened with consecutive rounds of 68, closed the gap with seven birdies and a single bogey in his third round.
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– AFP
Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Article Link: Rai takes one-shot lead into Abu Dhabi final round