Rory McIlroy is in contention to win the DP World Tour Championship after carding a third consecutive round in the 60s to put himself in the mix.
McIlroy shares a lead of 12 under par alongside Antoine Rozner and Rasmus Hojgaard as he looks to seal a fine end to the DP World Tour season.
McIlroy’s sixth Race to Dubai crown is already in the bag but as we all know, McIlroy loves nothing more than to prove he’s the best and he’ll be desperate to win.
With Rozner and Hojgaard next to him though and Joaquin Niemann and Tyrrell Hatton not too far away either, McIlroy knows he’s got a tough fourth round to contend with.
And discussing McIlroy’s form and the requirements for round four, Paul McGinley has suggested the score needed to win.
Rory McIlroy told he needs to shoot four under par to win the DP World Tour Championship
Speaking on Sky Sports immediately after seeing McIlroy come home in 68 to take a share of the lead, former Ryder Cup captain McGinley has told the Northern Irishman what he needs to do on day four.
“He hasn’t got a two or three shot lead, which could’ve had very easily. Those finishing holes weren’t playing overly difficult, particularly given the distance he hits the ball off the tee with two par-fives and a few short par-fours. There was a missed opportunity to get a bit of daylight. Nonetheless, he’s got a share of the lead,” McGinley said.
“He’s going to have to shoot around 67 or 66 to make sure that he’s going to probably win from there. Those guys from behind are capable of going low.
“He’s got to go out and grab it by the scruff of the neck tomorrow. The par for him around this golf course is 69 or 68 so he’s got to shoot one or two under par for what his par is around this course if he really wants to win this tournament.”
McIlroy will be the favourite despite tight race at the top
It’s fantastic to see a stacked leaderboard at the top and there’s some big names in there looking to get this one over the line.
However, Rory McIlroy is the man in that group and if he can produce his best golf, then he will come out on top and win the day.
As McGinley says, McIlroy is right up there despite leaving a few shots out there and if he can put that right, he could end up pulling clear.
The pressure is also on the others to keep pace with Rory and sometimes, that can prove too much.
Going into day four, then, McIlroy will very much fancy himself to win out.
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