Shane Lowry overcame a gradual begin and made three birdies in his final 12 holes to grind out a one-under 70 and hold his victory hopes alive within the Dubai Invitational.
Whereas Rory McIlroy is only a shot additional again after a 68, Lowry is bidding for his first particular person win for greater than three years, and he was happy to interrupt par and go into the ultimate spherical tied for second with Dylan Frittelli (666) and Marcus Armitage (68), simply two strokes behind Nacho Elvira.
The Spaniard fired a 68 to guide on eight-under par, however Lowry was upbeat about his possibilities of successful for the primary time as a person for the reason that 2022 BMW PGA Championship.
“Good,” Lowry mentioned of a day that started with bogeys on the third and fifth. “It was a grind at the moment.
“Acquired off to a nasty begin. Did not actually have it early on. A few actually, actually unhealthy errors, and I simply hung in there properly, and to be trustworthy, I used to be grinding for our workforce greater than something.”
He added, “Clearly, on the subject of tomorrow, I need to try to win the person occasion, however I used to be grinding for our workforce.
“I needed to gap the putt on the finish. I did not know what method the tie would have left us. I am proud of my day’s work. Might have been somewhat bit higher.”
Dunne’s workforce completed third within the workforce occasion, a shot behind winner Geoff Yang and runner-up Greg Mondre, however Lowry may be very a lot alive in his bid to begin the season with a victory at Dubai Creek Resort.
After his early errors, he made an awesome birdie on the seventh, working up his 189-yard method from the tough to three-and-a-half toes.
He then birdied the ninth with a shocking 140-yard restoration from sand to 4 toes, and did properly to stand up and down from 83 yards for his par-five on the thirteenth after placing his second within the water.
He went on to make an awesome par save from round 11 toes on the brief sixteenth, then made a seven-footer on the seventeenth for birdie to shut to get inside two photographs of Elvira, who performed his final 10 holes in 4 below for his 68.
Lowry hit an awesome shot to10 toes on the 18th from an ungainly, uneven lie in the proper tough, however whereas it lipped out for his birdie, he was upbeat about his recreation and ending his lengthy look ahead to a person win.
“Yeah, it was fairly good as a result of once I obtained over par early, it is difficult on the market,” he mentioned. “Clearly, there are just a few good scores, however there are a whole lot of common and unhealthy scores on the market.
“I simply felt like I wanted to remain affected person and hold doing what I used to be doing and my possibilities will come. I used to be joyful I holed an awesome par putt on 16, and the birdie on 17 was good, and I used to be robbed on the final, however what are you able to do?”
As for ideas of successful, he added, “It is the rationale I stand up within the morning. Attempt my greatest. Working as laborious as I can, and yeah, hopefully it’s going to come quickly.”
McIlroy can be properly within the combine after bouncing again from Friday’s 74 with a 68 to lurk simply three photographs off the lead on eight-under.
The Holywood star adopted a birdie on the first with a bogey six on the fourth however recovered properly and performed the again 9 in three below for his 68.
“Yeah, somewhat bit higher than yesterday,” McIlroy mentioned. “Stored the ball dry as a substitute of the 4 water balls I had. It was a tough sufficient day.
“The wind was up somewhat bit once more and perhaps not fairly as a lot as yesterday however obtained off to a little bit of a gradual begin however stayed affected person and hung in there. Was rewarded with three birdies on the again 9.”
McIlroy has had a win, six seconds and 15 top-five finishes in his first begin of the yr, and he’s trying ahead to making an attempt to sneak a win.
“I was this week as truthfully a little bit of a follow week going into the Desert Traditional subsequent week, simply to shake off somewhat little bit of the rust,” he mentioned.
“Nevertheless it’s nice to enter a last spherical tomorrow in rivalry and have an opportunity to win a match.
“I’ve realized so much about my recreation during the last three days, however I feel any time that you just’re on the enterprise finish of proceedings on the ultimate day, you study so much about your recreation.
“Tomorrow shall be a great day for me. To know what to perhaps give attention to going into the Desert Traditional subsequent week, as properly.”
His 68 was a rating that matched Elvira (38), who’s bidding for his third DP World Tour win, and never overawed concerning the prospect of getting to battle off the likes of Ryder Cup stars Lowry and McIlroy within the last spherical.
“Some massive guys arising,” he mentioned. “What can I say? They’re nice gamers. I performed with Shane at the moment.
“He is clearly a degree above, like everyone knows. However I’ll attempt to keep on with my recreation and see the place that places me.
“If that places me successful, nice. If that places me two behind, then let it’s.”
Tom McKibbin shot 72 to share forty second on six over whereas Pádraig Harrington’s 75 left him forty ninth within the 58-man discipline on 9 over.
