Rory McIlroy will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic after a late blunder gave the chasing pack renewed hope of preventing his third win in the event.
Starting the day two shots off the lead, McIlroy surged to the top of the leaderboard with birdies on the first four holes before his momentum stalled with eight straight pars.
The world number one then birdied the 13th, 14th, 15th and 17th as he threatened to leave the field trailing in his wake at Emirates Golf Club, only to hit his approach to the 18th into the water to run up his only bogey of the day.
