Seeking to make his best year better, McIlroy moves into joint lead at DP World Tour Championship

By V Krishnaswamy 

Dubai: Rory McIlroy is seeking to make his best year better as he inched towards a seventh Race to Dubai crown – one short of Colin Montgomerie’s tally of eight – and a fourth DP World Tour Championship.

Cruising ahead towards the end of a year that has been the best of his career, McIlroy holed a great birdie after missing the fairway to join Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen at 13-under and on top of the leaderboard at the DP World Tour Championship after three days in Dubai.

McIlroy was at 12-under when he missed the fairway with his drive on the 18th, but he advanced it back to the fairway, before hitting his approach to eight feet for a closing birdie.

McIlroy had a birdie on the first, missed a two and a half footer on the second, had a birdie on the seventh, too, and a bogey on the  third. On the back nine, where he knew he had a chance, the World No. 2 picked three birdies in the last five holes for a 4-under 68 on what he called a battling day. He caught up with Neergaard-Petersen (68) at 13-under.

Neergaard-Petersen opened with a bogey but had five birdies after that in his four-under card.

After Neergaard-Petersen’s three birdies in his last seven holes, McIlroy had three in the last five and they will go out in the lead pairing on Sunday.

There were 16 players within three shots of the lead, ensuring a dramatic final day at the Earth Course at the Jumeirah Golf Estate.

There was a time when no less than eight players shared the pole position and once McIlroy and Neergaard-Petersen finished at 13-under, there were six players at 12-under.

“That’s a close one with something like 10 players or more within two shots,” said McIlroy who is chasing his seventh ‘Race to Dubai’ title and fourth DP World Tour Championship.

McIlroy commented, “I felt like the last two days were battles.  Even then to come out and shoot two scores in the 60s is nice. I gave myself plenty of chances, and the putter wasn't really cooperating.  But I think talking to a lot of the guys in the locker room, I think everyone is struggling a bit on the greens this week.  They are hard to read, and they get a little bit crusty at the end of the day.  So I'm certainly not -- there's a lot of people in the same boat there.”

He added, “But I stayed as patient as I could, and knew there's some chances on the way in, the two par 5s and the short par 4, 15th, and with my length, I knew I should take advantage of those, and that's what I did today.”

Talking of last week when he was third in Abu Dhabi and now here in shared lead in Dubai, McIlroy admitted he couldn’t ask for me. He added, “No, not at all.  I had a 16-under week in Abu Dhabi last week, and to come in here and play, or score well, maybe not play my best but keep myself right up there in contention, one last push tomorrow to try to end the season the way I feel like the way it deserves to be ended.”

Of the six pack in Tied-third at 12-under, Spaniard Angel Ayora, playing in his first DP World Tour Championship. had a chance to go into shared lead, but he dropped a bogey on the 18th and dropped to 12- under, while Rasmus Hojgaard (65) had a bogey free round with four in the front nine and three on the back nine with three pars to close the round.

Laurie Canter had an eagle and two birdies in the first seven holes, but only pars thereafter and Tyrrell Hatton trying to make his way into the DP World Tour, had seven birdies against two bogeys. His last six holes were action-packed with four birdies, one bogey and one par.

Tommy Fleetwood, also having his best year, and looking for a DP World double by adding the DP World Tour Championship to his DP World India title, had a low key day and yet it was 4-under with two gains on either side.

The group at 12-under also had former US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick (66) who had an eagle two and five birdies against one bogey on the ninth.

The Top-eight had three others, Ludvig Aberg (66), Justin Rose (70) and Nicolai Hojgaard (73)  at 11-under.

The list of contenders did not end there five others Jacob Skov Olesen (66), Li Haotong (66), Thriston Lawrence (68), Shane Lowry (71) and Robert McIntyre (70) were at 10-under.

Tags : Rory McIlroy, DP World Tour, Golf, Colin Montgomerie