Rory McIlroy heads into the final round of the DP World Tour Championship tied for the lead, with a tight field chasing.
Saturday’s third round at the DP World Tour Championship set the stage for a thrilling season finale. With 15 players within three shots of the lead, the tournament remains wide open. Rory McIlroy and Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen sit atop the leaderboard at 13-under-par, while a group of six players, including Tommy Fleetwood, trails by just one stroke. The leaderboard tightened after Friday’s leader, Nicolai Højgaard, faltered with a 2-over-par round, allowing the field to close the gap. The Race to Dubai title is also on the line, with Tyrrell Hatton among the contenders. Should Hatton win, McIlroy would need to finish better than T8 to secure the season-long title.
DP World Tour: McIlroy shows grit to grab share of lead
Rory McIlroy once again demonstrated his composure under pressure, carding a 68 on Saturday to move into a share of the lead. Aside from a bogey on the 4th, the Northern Irishman played a clean round, narrowly missing several birdie opportunities. One highlight came on the 10th hole, where McIlroy, after a wayward drive, managed to reach the green from over 110 meters despite being obstructed by a tree branch. He made birdies on holes 14, 15, and 18 to finish strong and join Neergaard-Petersen at the top. The duo will tee off together in the final group on Sunday.
Despite leading, McIlroy cannot afford to relax, especially with the Race to Dubai title in play. Tyrrell Hatton fired his second 67 of the week to move into a tie for second, just one shot behind. The Englishman started strong with birdies on holes 1, 6, and 7, and added four more on the back nine, offset by just two bogeys. With such a tightly packed leaderboard, even McIlroy could slip to T8 or worse, opening the door for Hatton to claim both the tournament and the season-long title.
Solid showing from Nicolai von Dellingshausen
Germany’s Nicolai von Dellingshausen may not be in contention for the title, but he continued his consistent play with a third consecutive round of 70. He opened with a birdie on the 1st and added another on the 7th, offset by a bogey on the 9th. On the back nine, he birdied the 12th but gave it back on the 13th. A strong finish on the challenging 18th secured his spot in the middle of the pack at T24.