Rory McIlroy admitted he’ll need a special round on Saturday to win his first Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship after he “made a mess” of the 17th and racked up a triple bogey to slip nine shots off the lead.
The world number three was cruising, seven under for the day through 16 holes at Yas Links and heading for a super 64.
But after thinning a bunker shot into more sand and taking four more to get down after failing to get his third on the green, the Holywood star made a triple bogey six at the 17th before finishing with a birdie four.
A second successive five under 67 left him tied for 14th on ten under, nine shots behind England’s Paul Waring, who shot a course record 11-under 61 to lead by five shots from American Johannes Veerman, England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Danish pair Niklas Norgaard and Thorbjorn Olesen.
“Yeah, I played quite nice up to that point, and I feel like I hit a nice shot into 17,” said McIlroy, who is looking to wrap up his sixth Race to Dubai crown before next week’s season-ending DP World Tour Championship.
“Nice flighted 5-iron, hit the downslope, trundled into the bunker, and then it wasn’t a great leave in the first place. The club bounced on me. There the wasn’t a lot of sand, and wherever the ball was in the bunker there, and I just sort of made a mess of it from there.
“But bounced back well with two good shots into the last and made a birdie there.
“So just have to go out tomorrow and try to get off to a fast start and get myself back into it.”
McIlroy shot a third-round 63 when he came from ten shots behind Cameron Young at halfway to win the Dubai Desert Classic in January.
But he believes he needs something even more special tomorrow – and firmer conditions – if he’s to win this week.
“I’d like to see the course get a bit firmer,” he said. “There were a couple of greens today that got a bit shinier and a little trickier.
“Yeah, I need the golf course to firm up a little bit and toughen up a little bit to have a chance. There are so many gettable holes out there, the par 5s and some of the shorter par 4s.
“It will be up to me. I shot 63 on that Saturday in Dubai this year, and I’m going to need something similar, if not lower, seeing what the scores are like to give myself a chance going into Sunday.
“But I know it’s out there. I was 7-under through 13 holes today. So it is possible.”
Shane Lowry moved up to joint 17th on nine under after making an eagle and six birdies in a 66.
But Tom McKibbin was projected to remain outside the top 10 who will be awarded dual membership of the PGA Tour after next week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
The Co Antrim star recovered from a double bogey seven at the second with five birdies, but a 69 left him tied for 35th on six-under and projected to fall four places to 21st in the rankings.