Rory McIlroy Shares Lead in DP World Tour Championship Ahead of Final Round
Dubai, The Gulf Observer: Rory McIlroy positioned himself for a potential season-ending double after sharing the third-round lead with Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard and France’s Antoine Rozner at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
McIlroy, ranked World Number Three, requires only a top-11 finish to clinch his sixth Race to Dubai Rankings title, in partnership with Rolex. He is also pursuing a third victory on the Earth course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Starting the day one shot behind overnight leader Rozner, McIlroy surged with a series of birdies, carding four gains and one bogey between the seventh and 13th holes. Højgaard, meanwhile, built momentum with four consecutive birdies from the second hole, moving three shots clear at one stage. However, the leaderboard tightened as Rozner eagled the par-five 18th to complete a three-way tie at 12 under par.
Rozner’s eagle was the only one recorded on the 18th, achieved with a masterful approach shot that landed within eight feet of the pin. Højgaard displayed resilience, salvaging par on the 17th and saving his clean card with a 21-foot putt at the last after a penalty-area mishap.
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann and Sweden’s Jesper Svensson follow closely in fourth and fifth positions at 10 under and 9 under, respectively. Ryder Cup veterans Shane Lowry and Robert MacIntyre, alongside former World Number One Adam Scott, remain within striking distance at seven under par.
As McIlroy seeks to close out a stellar season, the final round promises a thrilling conclusion to the 2024 DP World Tour campaign.
