Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald share lead entering final round at Dubai World Championship
BY MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press
Sunday, November 25, 2012
11/25/12 at 6:00 AM
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Rory McIlroy sank a short birdie putt on the 18th hole Saturday to remain tied with Luke Donald as the world's two top-ranked golfers pulled three shots clear of a star-studded field after the third round of the Dubai World Championship.
The top-ranked McIlroy, who has already wrapped up the European and PGA Tour money titles, struggled early when he bogeyed the first hole and missed several makeable birdie putts. But he improved on the back nine, sinking a 30-foot eagle putt on 14 to go with three birdies for a 6-under 66.
Donald also had a 66 and is tied with McIlory with a 17-under total of 199.
"I've done a majority of my scoring this week on the back nine and that's the way it went today," McIlroy said. "Took me a few holes to adjust. But once I got comfortable, I started to hit some good shots and give myself opportunities for birdies."
Donald had his third consecutive bogey-free round and has now gone 100 holes at the Dubai tournament without one. If he wins Sunday without carding a bogey, he will match the feat of Sweden's Jesper Parnevik, who won the 1995 Scandinavian Masters without dropping a shot.
South Africans Louis Oosthuizen (68) and Charl Schwartzel (67) are three shots back, while compatriot Branden Grace and Joost Luiten of France are a further two shots behind. Seven others are six shots off the pace, including Scotsman Marc Warren, who started the day tied with McIlroy and Donald but had three bogeys on his first 12 holes to fall out of contention.
The round of the day, however, went to Jeev Milkha Singh. Still recovering from a hand injury and worried about his mother, who was hospitalized after a fall, the Indian golfer shot a 64 to match the course record and move into a tie for 25th. He strung together three consecutive birdies on the front nine and four straight after the turn in a round that included a total of nine birdies to go with a lone bogey on the 10th.
Original Print Headline: McIlroy, Donald share lead in Dubai
Associated Images:
Rory McIlroy (above) fired a 6-under 66 on Saturday and is tied with Luke Donald. KAMRAN JEBREILI / Associated Press
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