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The last time Royal County Down hosted the Amgen Irish Open in 2015, tournament host Rory McIlroy missed the cut with rounds of 80 and 71.
Nine years later, the world number three will head into Sunday’s final round with a one-shot lead over Matteo Manassero in pursuit of what would be his first professional win on Northern Irish soil.
“It would be amazing,” McIlroy said after a third round of 69 played in testing conditions, with winds gusting up to 35mph.
“The last couple of times I’ve played in Northern Ireland it hasn’t really panned out the way I wanted so to play a good three days here and be in the final group and give myself a chance tomorrow, I’m excited for the opportunity.
“After the sort of year that I’ve had and the close misses it wouldn’t make up for all of it, but it would go a long way in putting a nice shine on 2024 for me.
“I can’t get that far ahead of myself, I need to go out and play another very solid round tomorrow to try to get the job done but I’m pleased with how the first three days have gone.”
With the opening three holes playing straight downwind, McIlroy’s eagle on the par-five first was the 10th of the day – his compatriot Tom McKibbin was inches away from an albatross – and, after dropping a shot on the fifth, the four-time major winner birdied the seventh to move into the outright lead.
Another birdie on the 13th looked set to help McIlroy establish a more sizeable lead, but a bogey on the last meant he had to settle for the joint lowest score of the day and a 54-hole total of six under par.
“I definitely would have taken the score before I went out today,” McIlroy said.
“Got off to the perfect start making a three on one and then it was just a matter of trying to par as many holes as possible.
“If you picked up a birdie here and there it was a bonus but I think to shoot in the 60s today in those conditions was a really good effort and it puts me in a great position going into tomorrow.”
Overnight leader Manassero, who won his first DP World Tour title in more than 10 years in South Africa in March, battled to a third round of 72 to finish five under, with Robert MacIntyre, Jordan Smith, Erik van Rooyen and Rasmus Hojgaard all on three under.
MacIntyre had been four over par after seven holes of round two, but played the remaining 11 in five under and was delighted to match McIlroy’s 69 on Saturday.
“I thought it was brilliant from kind of start to finish there,” MacIntyre said.
“It was absolutely brutal. Even downwind, you think you’re going to get a bit of respite but it’s so hard to control the golf ball. It feels like there’s a disaster around the corner at any moment.”
Victory tomorrow would make MacIntyre the first player to win the Scottish Open and Irish Open in the same season and the left-hander added: “What I set out to do at the start of the week was give myself a chance come Sunday.
“We’re here now, and hopefully go out tomorrow, play well and fight hard and see where the cards fall.”
