Abu Dhabi Championship third-round leaderboard
-18 J Rahm (Spa); -17 T Hatton (Eng), F Laporta (Ita); -16 R McIlroy (NI); -15 A Scott (Aus); -14 M Jordan (Eng), D Puig (Spa)
Chosen others: -12 S Bairstow (Eng), N Kimsey (Eng); -11 T Fleetwood (Eng), E Ferguson (Sco), A Sullivan (Eng); -9 A Rai (Eng); -8 E Chacarra (Spa), M Wallace (Eng); -1 P Reed (US)
Jon Rahm has a one-shot lead going into the ultimate spherical of the Abu Dhabi Championship however Ryder Cup team-mates Tyrrell Hatton and Rory McIlroy are in shut competition.
The 31-year-old Spaniard shared the in a single day lead with Italy’s Francesco Laporta and fellow former LIV participant Hatton, however moved away from them each with a six-under-par 66 at Yas Hyperlinks on Saturday.
Hatton and Laporta each carded a 67, as did McIlroy, who goes into the ultimate spherical in fourth place on 16 underneath.
Rahm, who mentioned just lately that he does not know what 2027 holds after quitting the LIV tour, is aiming for a primary solo match triumph since successful the Masters in 2023.
Reigning Masters champion McIlroy stays in scorching pursuit, nevertheless, after bouncing again in spectacular trend since being given a two-shot penalty within the opening spherical for bettering his lie earlier than taking a chip shot.
The six-time main winner hit 11 birdies in a second-round 63 and one other eight in his third spherical, however a double bogey six on the par-four tenth – and one other dropped shot on the seventeenth – left McIlroy two photographs off the lead.
And he acknowledges that it’s going to take one thing particular on the ultimate day to reel in Rahm and co.
“There are low ones [scores] on the market and I’m going to must shoot a low one – one thing within the mid to low 60s – to get it executed tomorrow and that would be the objective,” mentioned McIlroy.
Hatton, in the meantime, is wanting ahead to going head-to-head once more with Rahm after taking part in alongside the two-time main champion, and Laporta, in Saturday’s last group.
All three will play collectively as soon as once more on Sunday.
“Clearly last group tomorrow there’s so much to play for,” mentioned Hatton, who briefly moved stage with Rahm on the prime of the leaderboard within the third spherical after holing his seventh birdie of the day on the 14th.
“Naturally we’re going to need to beat one another. Hopefully I can get off to a superb begin and put him underneath some stress.”
Rahm, who’s chasing his first win within the Abu Dhabi Championship, responded properly after being put underneath stress by Hatton on Saturday.
He reclaimed the outright lead on the fifteenth with an excellent, curling 20-foot birdie putt and got here near extending his benefit on the final, simply developing quick with one other birdie likelihood as he completed with out a single dropped shot.
Laporta additionally produced a bogey-free spherical to maintain tempo with the sphere’s massive hitters because the 36-year-old, who shot 10 underneath par to assert a first-round lead, bids for a primary title on the DP World Tour.
Elsewhere, Australian Adam Scott remained bogey-free for the match after three rounds and moved as much as fifth place on 15 underneath with a 66.
And Englishman Matthew Jordan is a shot additional again, alongside Spain’s David Puig, after a third-round 69.
