Rory McIlroy started the day 10 strokes behind leader Cameron Young, but desperately needed a lower round to give himself a chance.
He started the round with a birdie, serving as a preview of what was to come. McIlroy then shot an impressive 9-under 63 to tie for the lowest round of the week at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
The four-time major champion ended his round with a spectacular eagle on the par-5 18th. He held the putt from more than 40 feet from the green, improving his total to 12 under par.
“I was walking around with the putter in my hand, and as I got closer to the ball, I realized there was a lot of fringe to go through. And I said, [my caddy] harry [Diamond], I would like to tip, but the lie was not good. I could see the club bouncing,” McIlroy said of his own play. 3rd shot on the 18th.
“[So I decided that] I rode my luck and hit the putter, and the result was perfect. And when I got to the green, it wasn't as fast as I thought it would be. And it was tracking perfectly. Obviously, there's a huge bonus if you can get something like that on board. ”
When the putt missed, McIlroy quickly found himself tied for the lead. However, he started the day several hours earlier than the leader and is now two strokes behind Young.
The 26-year-old American shot a 1-under 71 on Saturday and heads into Sunday's final round at 14 under.
“I think everyone expects that from him,” Young said of McIlroy's No. 63 ranking. “I thought he wouldn't stay in 30th place for long.”
McIlroy and Young will be paired for the final time in Dubai on Sunday.
“I think it’s going to be fun,” Young added. “I played well this week, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow and seeing what I can do.”
The key for Young will be getting off to a good start, just like McIlroy did on Saturday.
The Northern Irishman smashed the front nine (the tougher of the two sides) with five birdies in his first nine holes. That included his three straight holes at Nos. 7, 8 and 9, all of which he holed from within 10 feet.
“For me, I think the key to this golf course has always been the front nine, because it’s the tougher front nine. If you can play well on that nine, it gives you a lot of momentum for the back nine, which is more scoring. You can get it,” McIlroy explained.
“If I got off to a good start, I was a few under from 3 under, and I thought I might pick up one or two more after the tough stretch from 5 to 9, but I ended up picking up 3. 7, 8, 9. His birdie was great, and he continued to do that until the back nine.”
McIlroy had four straight birdies on the par-5 10th hole and another par-breaker on the par-5 13th hole. At that point, he was 7 under par for the round and 10 under par for the round.
Five holes later, he closed out the round with that eagle. That means he played the par 5s at 5 under on Saturday.
This would put him in a position to chase a fourth victory at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, which would be an “amazing” achievement for McIlroy.
“[I would be the] The first player to know my name [that trophy] “Four innings, yeah, that would be great,” McIlroy said.
“I've had great success in Dubai, whether it's in this tournament or at Jumeirah Golf Estates or the Race to Dubai. It's been a really, really good place for me. I love coming back here. I love my time here. I'm really enjoying it. Yeah, it would be great to win another one.”
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through.Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
