‘Excited’ Rory McIlroy eyes a third Dubai Desert Classic title

Rory McIlroy was relishing the chance to win a third Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic title after moving within two shots of the lead heading into the final round at Emirates Golf Club.

The Northern Irishman carded a 69 on day three to get to 10 under at the event he won in 2009 and 2015, two shots behind South African Justin Harding who maintained his halfway advantage with a 71.

McIlroy’s Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood was at nine under, a shot clear of three more members of the European team humbled 19-9 at Whistling Straits in defending champion Paul Casey, Tyrrell Hatton and Bernd Wiesberger.

But all eyes will be on McIlroy in round four as the four-time major winner looks to convert his improved ball-striking into another win at the scene of his very first DP World Tour triumph.

The 32-year-old said he had “hit the ball as good as I’ve done in a long time” after round two and that certainly looked to be true on the back nine as he struck three stunning second shots into par fives that set up an eagle and two birdies.

He made two further birdies on the front nine to go with three bogeys and was excited to have another chance to complete his Desert Classic hat-trick after narrowly losing out to Li Haotong in 2018.

“I’m excited,” he said. “Had a really good chance in 2018 and let it slip through my fingers there when Haotong won. Good to give myself another opportunity.

“It would be nice to get another win, especially here in Dubai. But it’s obviously nice to get a win anywhere early in the season. So I’ve just got to go out there tomorrow and try to play a good round of golf and hopefully it’s good enough.

“Some good things in there and a couple of bad things as well and I feel like it all evened out by the end and