Rory McIlroy remained in competition to begin 2026 with a event victory as he sat three photographs behind chief Nacho Elvira with one spherical to play within the Dubai Invitational.
World quantity two McIlroy carded 4 birdies and a bogey in a third-round 68 at Dubai Creek Resort on Saturday to lie in fifth place on 5 below par.
Spaniard Elvira additionally posted a 68 to maneuver two photographs clear on the high of the leaderboard as he goals for a 3rd DP World Tour win of his profession.
Eire’s Shane Lowry, who shared the lead with Elvira after the second spherical, battled to a 70 to sit down in a tie for second place with England’s Marcus Armitage (68) and South African Dylan Fritelli, who had a formidable 66.
Lowry made a disappointing begin to his spherical as he dropped photographs on the third and sixth, earlier than choosing up birdies on the seventh, ninth and seventeenth holes.
The previous Open champion is hoping to safe his first particular person title since profitable the BMW PGA Championship in 2022.
McIlroy instructed Sky Sports activities that he was utilizing his first aggressive outing of the 12 months as one thing of “a follow week” to “shake the rust off” for subsequent week’s Dubai Desert Basic however added that he was nonetheless eager to clinch a win.
The five-time main winner fired seven birdies in a gap 66 to guide after spherical one however hit 4 photographs into the water in an erratic second-round 74 on Friday.
“Slightly bit higher than yesterday, saved the ball dry as an alternative of the 4 water balls I had [in the second round],” mirrored McIlroy after his spherical on Saturday.
“It was a difficult sufficient day, the wind was up once more, not possibly as a lot as Friday.
“I received off to a sluggish begin however stayed affected person and hung in there and was rewarded with three birdies on the again 9. It is nice to enter the ultimate spherical in competition, with an opportunity to win a event.”
Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson and Englishman Matt Wallace reached three below, whereas Tommy Fleetwood moved to stage par after following up his 78 on Friday with a third-round 66.
